#boy dies. gets trapped in the land of the dead and is being hunted down by the wild hunt after refusing to join their ranks

[kurokoros]

currently thinking about this weird, macabre midwest aesthetic script I'm outlining

[luneesv]

can't get rid of you - peeta mellark

peeta mellark x male!reader

after you volunteered for prim, you're now the new tribute of district twelve, with Peeta. you were in love with him since you were a child.. now you had to fight him on the arena of the 74th Hunger Games

[english isn't my first language]

this story was originally posted on wattpad

part 1 - the forest (this one)

part 2 - the bread (click here !)

part 3 - the fire (click here !)

-

The sun had just risen, you had been awake for at least an hour. Your hands were rubbing the wall in search of action . You finally decide to get up, you put on patched pants and a shirt. You glanced at Katniss and Prim who were still sleeping. They weren't your sisters but after the death of your father and theirs you started living with them. Their mother was in the living room, she had fallen asleep in front of the window. You will never be thankful enough for all the things they done for you. You opened the door and a great cool wind ruffles your hair. You walk slowly towards the forest. As you walk you see no one. Today is the reaping for the 74th Hunger Games. Either the people are getting ready or they are resting a bit more. Some people smile at you. You're famous enough here, to survive the winter you sold the animals you manage to hunt with Katniss. You miss those times. You arrive in front of the fences. They should be electrified but you're not stupid. You manage to sneak in and continue walking until you reach the entrance to the forest. You search a few trees before you found the right one. You take the bow that your father gave you before he died. Next is Katniss's but you didn't want to wake her. In these times she's the only one hunting, people in the village are just asking for your help, you don't even have time to hang out with Katniss anymore. So you wanted to give them a present, just before the reaping. You could be chosen but the odds were so slim that you didn't care. Or course, your name is inscribed in most of the papers but like almost all of the seam. The only one who was anxious was Prim. But Katniss was going to reassure her, you were sure of it.

You throw an arrow at a bird you don't recognize but it lands on the tree next to it. You were too tall. All the animals could see you coming. You came from the seam, so let's say that you rarely eat a lot. But by hunting a lot and running you get to be fit. Usually it's Katniss who hunts and you who carry the beasts or trap them. But you have no choice, so you take off your shoes, duck down and try to keep the noise down as you shoot another arrow at a deer. The first of the year. The arrow lands in its head and it falls to the ground before it can try to escape. You raise your head to the sky, the sky was beautiful. It had taken an orange color and the clouds made everything majestic. You were glad you were alive for these moments. You walk slowly towards the deer and carry it on your back. You continue your walk until you pass by the traps you placed last week. You found a rabbit and a squirrel. You smile as you put them in a leather bag that was soon to die from the condition. You take one last look at the forest. A melancholic look as if you felt you weren't going to be able to hunt there for a long time. You come in through a different place. A street that separates the city from the seam. This street is very special for you. After your father died you were hiding there. Your mother was already dead and you didn't know what the peacekeepers was going to do with you So you hid here. You were going to starve, you rummaged through the trash cans looking for food but you found nothing. You were sitting in front of the bakery, you were exhausted and it was raining so much. You saw blurry and you felt the cold freezing you. Until you hear a voice, two voices. A woman one and a little boy one. You were trying to figure out who these people were. You saw after a few seconds of concentrating a boy who was being yelled at by his mother.

- how stupid are you Peeta ! You burned all the breads ! she said before slapping him in front of me, throw them to the pigs.

And so did he, but at one point he noticed me. I remember his look, people often looked at you but with a disgusted or insignificant look. But he looked at you with tenderness. He looked worriedly towards the bakery and he sighed after seeing that his mother was busy talking with his father. He threw you a loaf, then two. You took them in your hands, the buns were hot but it warmed you up and for the first time in weeks you really had to eat. You ate a little of one of the bread, and stuff the rest before you run off. As you ran, you gave him a grateful look. As you ran you heard his mother yelling even louder. She had noticed that he had given you bread.

This feeling of guilt knowing he got beat up just for you, is always present when you walk here.

You walk towards the bakery, you open the door and you find the boy's father.

- you're already awake son ?

- yea, i hunted to wake me up before the reaping. you said while looking at the cakes in the windows, do you want a squirrel sir ?

He looks at you and nod, you reach into your bag to pull out a squirrel wrapped in a large tree leaf.

- what do you want in exchange ?

- uhm.. 2 loaves please.

- one. he said coldly.

You nodded and he hands you a loaf of bread.

- thanks sir.

- so are you ready for the reaping ?

- i guess nobody is ever ready, right ? you laughed, you try not to talk about the reaping, you don't like that.

- if you say so.

You smile at him vaguely before getting out of the bakery. You peek at the pigs, and you saw the boy who carried bags of flour towards the inside. You smiled at him even thought he couldn't see you.

You're heading home, the sun was completely up and the sky was a blue that hurt your eyes. Everyone was up and people were walking towards the center of town. You open the door of your house and you put the deet in the table as you discover Katniss who was dressing Prim for the reaping. They were beautiful.

- look at both of you ! You're all so pretty.

Prim ran over to hug you as Katniss smiled at you.

- go get dressed y/n. Katniss laughed.

- I put you an outfit on your bed, it was your father's. Whispered the mother of the girls you just noticed.

- thanks.

You left the living room to walk slowly around your room. The more time passed the more anxious you were. You discovered a slightly worn but still white shirt and black pants. You have never seen such beautiful clothes. You were used to worn out clothes. You undressed and you washed yourself. You rubbed your naked body still aching from yesterday when you had spent the day carrying provisions for certain families. Thanks to that you managed to earn enough money to be able to buy a brooch from Katniss. She was more than your friend. She was like your sister. After getting out of the water you looked on your wooden desk for the pin that you touched with your fingertips. The pin represents a bird, a mockingjay according to the woman who gave it to you. You dress slowly and after puting on your shirt you put the pin on it. You look in the mirror and try to do your hair. In the seam the hairstyle that all the boys have is the shaved cut. It avoids taking care of it for a long time and everyone can do it even without hairdressing instruments. But you have thick and a little long hair, not too much either, you don't like it too long. You look at your face which is marked by fatigue and hunger. You rub your thick nose trying to make it look smaller. You hate it. To be honest you hate a lot of things about your body.

You come out of your room when you see the three girls getting ready to leave.

- I'm scared Katniss.. said Prim with tears in her eyes.

- don't cry Prim, it's okay.. answered Katniss.

You walk towards them smiling, the three and you left, like everyone, towards the center of the district. You walked alongside everyone, you could saw familiar faces, people you knew from school or just people you sold animals to. People were lining up by age, Katniss reassured Prim one last time and you two went to the line for people who have your age. Peacekeepers took some of your blood, it doesn't bother you, it's been the 5th time you've been there, it's no more painfull. Katniss and you are walking to the platform where the same woman will soon be standing like every year. She always dresses weird but you were wondering what color her dress will be this year.

Katniss looks at you and finally talks to you after a few minutes of silence.

- Prim was scared that she would be picked.

- And you ? You think she'll be picked ? You said after thinking what you should say.

- Well, it's her first year.. it's impossible but I don't know.. she mumbled.

You smiled at her.

- Don't worry, Prim won't be picked, and you too.

She hugs you and you hugged her back.

Suddenly the radio speaker began to crackle, the woman dressed in purple stepped onto the stage. She smiled and took the microphone before exclaiming :

- Welcome to the 74th Annual Hunger Games !

She started giving the same speech like every year, then she showed you the movie, like every year. You looked at Katniss who was smiling. The movie ended, and the woman, you think her name is Effie, made a sign to silence everyone.

- Now I'm gonna pick the couragous boy and the couragous girl who'll compete in the arena for the district twelve !

The stressful atmosphere was felt as she advanced towards the ball containing the papers with the names of the district twelve's boys.

- Let's start with the couragous boys for change !

None of the boys spoke, the silence was heavy, as Effie searched through the ball.

- Now.. let's choose this one..

She picked up a paper and opened it slowly before the boys' absorbed gazes.

- The couragous male tribute of district twelve is..

Everyone's heart stopped, even yours.

- Peeta Mellark !

Oh no.. not him, you said to yourself. The boy, the one who helped you, the one you love passionately, will die in this arena. You want to volunteer, to save him, but Katniss, Prim and their mother need you. They all need you.

Nobody spoke, he walked towards the platform where Effie stands.

- Welcome Peeta, are you happy to be with us ? No ? Okay.

Peeta's expression broke your heart. He had tears in his eyes, he looked at the boys hoping for someone to volunteer for him. But nobody said anything. Not even his brothers.

- Well, now let's pick a girl ! Exclaimed again Effie, while she trotted with her high heels towards the ball containing the names of the girls.

You were safe, now Katniss has to be safe too. They need you.

- The female tribute of district twelve is.. Primrose Everdeen !

- what.. you murmured.

You glanced at Prim who was breathing heavily. She was crying but trying not to show it too much, but you know her too well not to notice.

- I'll volunteer.. said Katniss while looking at her feet.

- no you have to stay with your mother, you scream at her, you can't leave her !

- it's not like i have a choice ! screamed Katniss back at you.

- we can try, i'm not important !

Prim was walking slowly towards Effie while we were arguing, you knew that you needed to do something.

- I volunteer ! I VOLUNTEER ! You shouted at the peacekeepers that were trying to take Prim to Effie.

- Umh excuse me but we already have a male tribute, sorry my boy..

- I don't care, please take me instead of Primrose.

- You can't do this.. Katniss whispered to me, stop please i'll do it..

You turned to her, and smiled.

- Take care of them.

- Well, i guess we can take you ! she turned to some people that worked with the gamesmakers, yes we can ? oh well come to me my boy !

Prim turned to you, she wasn't hiding the fact that she was crying anymore and she hugged me as she screamed.

- NO PLEASE STAY, NO !

- Prim.. it's okay Katniss will be there.. I love you Prim..

And Katniss hugged her as you walked up the stage with your hands shaking. You didn't know what to feel, no pain, you can't, you can't cry. It will be even worse. You were now in front of everyone.

- What a show ! We have the first ever both male tribute ever since the creation of the Hunger Games, and one of them volunteered ! I can't be more proud of myself !

Proud of herself ? What was wrong with her.. You were trying to hide your emotions as she turned to you.

- The little girl, Prim, she was your sister?

- No, but.. I considered her as such.

- Okay ! she exclaimed.

Suddenly, everyone started raising their hands in the air, making a sign with their fingers. An old sign from your district.

- Mm, okay ! Now the tributes will say goodbye, then they'll be on their way to the capitol !

You glanced at Prim and Katniss, who was caressing her sister's head, who was crying. You were trying not to cry but it was getting harder and harder. Then you glanced at Peeta, who in turn glanced back at you.

He was crying as the people started to go back home, while the peacekeepers forced both of you to go from the stage.

-

thank you so much for reading this, if you want more, you can check my wattpad account !

[hannahwatcheshorror]

THE WRATH OF BECKY (2023)

💁‍♀️Strong Female Lead

Jill Larson was a treat, loved her in The Taking of Deborah Logan, loved her in this. Lulu Wilson again was wonderful as Becky. This story was just a little too similar to the first one for me to like it that much, they sort of blurred together. Still quite a compelling story and worth watching but I sure hope they come up with something different for whatever movie comes next.

⭐⭐⭐.5

Trigger Warning Racism, War Crimes

Our movie begins with Becky exactly where Kevin James said she would be in the last film, bouncing from foster home to foster home but not landing anywhere until she turns 16 and begins living with a woman named Elena who picked her up hitchhiking. Elena is very wise and sweet to poor, orphaned Becky who still runs drills in the forest because the whole home-invasion-by-neo-nazi-thing really messed her up. Our main girl has to get a job working at a local diner and while she is there some really creepy and nasty dudes come in. They call themselves the Noble Men (NM) but they are very obviously some proud boy knock-offs. Either way they are vile human beings who hate women and they spoke disrespectfully to Becky so she “accidently” spilled some coffee in one of their laps… Anyway they decide to STALK her and break into her home that night. Fucking yikes. So they haven broken in, they are threatening her, they even hurt Diego (the dog) but Elena comes round the corner with a long gun and tells them all to leave. Well, Coffee Lap doesn’t like that one bit so he straight up shoots Elena in the head! Poor Becky is furious, she charges at the gunman but he redirects her into a wall and she gets knocked out. When she wakes up her friend and guardian is dead and her dog is gone.

Little do these fuckers know that it is not a good idea to make Becky angry. She gears up as best she can for war and uses the info she heard from the men at the diner to hunt them down. She quickly finds them and their leader Darryl but more importantly she finds their weapons cash and she stocks up even further. She calls the group of five (5) guys to tell them she is coming for her dog and this makes them send the first pathetic sap outside. He falls into a pit trap and gets his head blown off which was pretty epic. Quickly it is revealed that the Noble Men were planning an insurrection the next day and that is why the boys came to town. The one guy was just brought by his friends but was never in on any of their crazy plans, he was always a big softy (like Apex from the first movie) he tries to leave but instead his weakness is shown to Darryl who kills him. Brutal. The squirmy bad guy is given the task to go out and find the girl but instead he just hops in a car and drives away like a coward.

The redheaded woman-hater chases Becky to the barn after she shoots him in the face with a crossbow and just as she is about to chop him to bits he appeals to her humanity since he has a son. Too bad the little fuckers name is Adolf. She chops him up but then gets shot with a knockout dart and wakes up tied up. Oh no! Darryl has her and now his mom Darryl Sr. is here and she is gonna make Becky pay! Plus they threaten the dog again! But our Becky is able to undo the knots holding her, bear mace Darryl and then knife Darryl Sr. when push comes to shove she has an amazing trap set up in the woods that works perfectly on Darryl who steps in and falls into every bear trap she had set up and he dies! Back inside Becky frees Diego but Darryl Sr. is somehow still alive and kicking? Good thing Diego can put a stop to that real fast. Our movie ends with Becky becoming the youngest CIA operative and she uses her new position to hunt down the squirmy one, the one that got away, the last of the Noble Men who fucked with her, and she blows him up with a freaking bazooka. Sick nasty. Amazing. Roll credits.

-----------------------HANNAH WATCHES HORROR--------------------

[smol-chaotic-creations]

I got this idea based on art by @wingless-cupid and it really helped me get back into the writing groove! Characters belong to Yuurivoice!

Mansion's Secret

Black clouds blanketed the sky and the wind blew as if a storm was imminent. This didn't fare well for the young cryptid hunter that rode down the one-lane road, who was following an anonymous tip he had gotten about a mansion far back in the woods. Rumors had spread that the mansion was haunted by a rather mischievous entity, but no one had been able to see it for themselves. Now, Seth was determined to be the first to see said entity and the first to document it. As he pulled up to the building, the brunette couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated by its aura. It gave off a sense of ancient power, and that only made the mansion seem larger than it was.

Seth parked his bike without breaking eye contact, and slowly approached the door. Once his hand landed on the doorknob, his body felt cold and in a sense... dead, in some way. "No," the male thought, "I've gone hunting in way scarier places than this! An abandoned mansion is nothing!" With that, he threw open the door to reveal the beautiful, open foyer with an old chandelier hanging from the ceiling. As he walked in, the house creaked in defiance, as if it was upset by the younger presence. What the male couldn't see, was a tall and slender figure watching him from one of the higher platforms.

The vampire smiled wide as he watched the human, making sure to take in every part of his figure. Alphonse had not seen another mortal for quite some time, heck, he hadn't seen anyone in a long time. Being a vampire trapped inside of a dusty old mansion by himself, really wasn't as glamorous as it sounded before he died. He tended to spend his days sleeping and thinking, which was not a good thing either. The boy longed for someone, anyone, to find his mansion and keep him company, even if that meant them visiting.

"Maybe this is my chance," he thought in excitement, "This human must not be frightened if he walked in here so boldly!" With that, he began to float and followed the cryptid hunter as a way to figure out how to reveal himself.

Seth wandered the old house, carefully looking around every corner and examining anything he could get his hands on. Most of the items in the house were dusty and untouched, but that was until he found what looked to be some kind of journal. As the brunette picked up the book, Alphonse felt himself stiffen and reach out to lightly smack it out of Seth's hand. "What in the sam hill," the other shouted, pulling his hand back and bumping into the vampire behind him.

As the boy froze, Alphonse felt his brain scramble to find some way to respond to the sudden reaction. He watched as Seth slowly moved to hold his flashlight up and turn to look behind him. So, he wrapped his arm around the other male and smiled wide as he gave a greeting, "Sorry about that friend. That's a bit of personal work." The brunette was frozen in place and stared at the vampire with a mixture of fear and excitement. His frozen state soon passed, allowing him to spin away so he could face the vampire before him, making sure to keep his flashlight on the being.

"What do you want," he demanded, gaining some confidence to glare at Alphonse. The vampire was confused but excited by Seth's excitement nonetheless.

So, he answered in a chipper manner, "Oh I don't want anything. I just heard you come in and decided to follow you." The muscular man raised a brow, confused by the sincerity in the undead being's tone. "You know," the other continued, "You're the first person that's ever come here so confidently! Everyone else was always so scared, and honestly, it was really getting annoying." Now, that took Seth by surprise, causing him to loosen up his stance.

"Wait," he questioned, "You're not going to uh... try and kill me?"

Now it was Alphonse's turn to be confused, "What?! Is that what the townspeople are saying?! I have enough blood in storage to last me years! I would have no reason to kill anyone!" The 'blood in storage' comment concerned the brunette, but he felt no need to dwell on it, considering it might just anger the being in front of him.

"If I play my cards right," he thought, "I might just be able to befriend this thing."

Meanwhile, Alphonse could only think, "If I'm careful, I might be able to actually make a friend!"

[smallsies]

⛓

⛓: A plot bunny you just can’t let go of, even if you don’t plan on writing it.

strangely enough, the idea of a ghost hunting fic! headcanons under the cut;

modern era blink is really into horror & paranormal activity, which on a half-joking suggestion from jack leads him to creating a youtube channel surrounding unsolved mysteries

initially it's more of a way to pass the time than anything in between shifts at the local history museum and fossil site, but his content begins to gain traction after being mentioned by a more famous creator

needing to keep up with the demand, blink's friend avery starts helping out with his channel-- he's a film studies major at their college and has higher quality equipment than what blink was previously using

avery, whom blink affectionately nicknamed sniper, suggested blink take the opportunity to expand his content and try a video at a different angle

they landed on the classic "exploring an abandoned asylum", recruiting a handful of others who had appeared in blink's videos once or twice

a couple weeks of planning later sees blink, sniper, smalls, mush, hildy and jojo flying cross-country to new york (jack had been invited to come, but refused on the basis of "not wanting to die yet") the city had plenty of history, enough content to make the expense worth it

the first property they'd selected was owned by a well-known news journalist Bryan Denton (who bought the site after previous break-ins had led to the police discovering a wealth of historical artifacts). hildy spoke to the man over the phone and somehow convinced him to allow them access, claiming the potential research the students could do on-site

sniper and hildy, as the party's film students, are on videography duty, mush assigns himself to flashlight duty ("somebody should be in charge, it's not because i'm scared, blink,") and blink, smalls, and jojo are all in front of the cameras running the show

half the crew leans towards skepticism, while the others are bordering on curiosity and anxiety, but within an hour of being in the asylum, "incidents" start occurring

voices seeming to come from nowhere, doors opening and closing on their own, jojo being pushed down a flight of stairs when nobody had been standing near him (he twisted his ankle, smalls thought, but he would be okay)

mush was convinced someone was pranking them, or blink had set it up for the sake of the cameras, but reality settles in whenever they're faced with the faintest glimpse of a person, a boy with blonde curls and a cigarette tucked into the corner of his mouth

the ghost doesn't seem angry with them, merely confused, as if he was lost. his name is race, he says, and he died there, and wanted to know if they were dead too

enter discovering that the asylum was initially known as the refuge some two hundred years before, housing homeless kids unfortunate enough to land themselves in trouble

and basically the rest would be them uncovering more secrets of the city, befriending ghosts and ultimately getting trapped in a massive historical cover up headed by one of the biggest journalism companies in america, targets on their backs thanks to the world's owner, joseph pulitzer

i also have thoughts about their dynamics and majors and other random details;

blink- geosciences + minor in anthropology

sniper- film studies + english double major

smalls- history, ancient civilizations concentration

mush- theatre + business double major

hildy- film studies + minor in a/v communications

jojo- legal studies, criminal law concentration

blink and mush have been together since high school

blink and jack are roommates, they live across the hall from jojo and sniper in one of the dorms

mush technically shares an apartment with his sister, but he spends most of his time at blink's

hildy and smalls are roommates in an apartment, they met at a bookstore hildy was working at (& both work there now)

sniper and smalls are head-over-heels for one another, but still deeply in denial of the fact

their group gets the nickname "newsies" from blink's fans after a clip of smalls infodumping about the strike makes it into the video

send me a plot bunny ask!

[undercoveravenger]

A Pirate’s Life For Me

Creature Week 2020: Day Two

Pairing: Harry Hook x Siren!Male!Reader

Request: “Harry Hook rescued by a male!siren reader?” 

A/N: This is set in an AU where the villains were never trapped on the Isle, so Harry grew up on the Jolly Roger with his father.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry had been working on his father’s ship practically since he’d been born, but in all that time he had never seen the typically crystalline waters of Neverland become this rough. He’d seen the Jolly Roger weather storms before. He’d smelled the salty sea air grow thick with the scent of rain and watched as the dark wooden planks of the deck speckled with the falling droplets of water. He’d seen the sails billow and tear when the winds came ripping through more suddenly than the crew had been prepared for.

This was no normal storm though. The sails were being shredded up on the masts, the wind was thrashing the tail ends of the rigging around like whips and no one had been able to pull them in. Harry had abandoned his previous post almost immediately when he realized just how bad the storm was getting and did his best to help mitigate the damage.

He’d barely managed to reel in one of the flailing lengths of rope and get it tied down when he found himself slammed into by a wayward boom, the thick beam uncontrollable since the vicious winds had torn through the sail. The force knocked him from his feet and sent him plummeting over the ship’s railing and into the freezing water below.

Harry flailed, trying in vain to flounder his way to the surface but only succeeding in tiring himself out. The weight of his heavy leather coat and the sword and scabbard strapped to his hip dragged him further beneath the frigid waves as they soaked in water.

His movements had started to slow and his vision was going dark when he’d first seen it. A dark figure had flitted past him, barely discernible from the black depths around him. Then he’d felt the thickly-muscled tail brush against the back of one of his legs and, as his consciousness finally slipped away from him, Harry hoped that he would drown before the siren chose to do more than observe him.

-----------------------------------

When Harry had woken up and found himself lying on the sun-warmed sand of an unfamiliar beach, he had been sure that this must have been the afterlife. The burning ache of his ribs where he’d been struck by the beam during the storm when he tried to sit up had been enough to convince him that the events of the previous night had really happened.

He forced himself to sit up quickly, ignoring the pain from his bruised chest in favor of attempting to identify his surroundings. He was sure that this was not the main island of Neverland, but it also had a very different appearance than any of the smaller surrounding islands that he had been to. He supposed that the ship could have drifted during the storm, but he doubted that they’d made it into a previously uncharted archipelago. But then, how had he ended up here? 

The last thing Harry had known, he had been drowning and the ship had been far enough from land to have made washing up on some beach nearly impossible.

“Oh good,” came the sound of an unfamiliar voice. “You were out so long I was starting to wonder if I hadn’t gotten to you in time.”

Harry wheeled around at the sound of the stranger’s voice, eyes widening as he locked eyes with the most attractive guy he’d ever seen. The stranger was laying in the water on his stomach with his chin propped up on his hands, seemingly undisturbed by the freezing temperature of the water as waves crashed up over the bare skin of his back and shoulders. Harry forced himself not to linger on the stranger’s shirtlessness, instead shifting his attention to the damp waves of thick (h/c) hair falling over captivating (e/c) eyes and the alluring smile he was being offered.

Harry swallowed sharply, suddenly struggling to remember how speaking worked, “You? You were the one who saved me?”

The (h/c) nodded, shoulders straightening proudly, “Yeah, I was swimming nearby and saw you fall off your ship.” He ducked his head, looking almost abashed, “My sisters told me that it was what you deserved, but I didn’t agree so I dove after you.” 

“Your family wanted you to let me drown…?” Harry wasn’t exactly sure what sort of people would want to let someone drown, but he had the distinct impression that he probably wouldn’t like his savior’s family.

He shrugged, rolling over onto his back so he could look up at the sky, “Wouldn’t be the first time. It’s kind of what we do.” At the baffled look on Harry’s face, the (h/c) let out a huff. Harry watched as the stranger shifted his weight back onto his shoulders a little, using the new leverage to lift his legs out of the water.

Except it wasn’t legs that emerged from the frothing waves. No, instead, the (h/c) lifted a huge, gleaming caudal fin from its previous place hidden under the water, droplets and rivulets trailing down the length of the tail toward where it merged with his torso. 

At first glance, Harry had assumed he was just one of the merpeople that lingered in Mermaid Lagoon, but he quickly noticed the distinctive differences. Merpeople had beautiful, elegant tails that came in a rainbow of shades more appropriate to showing off than for use in hunting. Sirens on the other hand? They were made to kill and one good look at the (h/c)’s tail had Harry convinced that he knew what he was dealing with.

His scales shone a brilliant emerald color and the myriad of colors that made up the caudal fin nearly camouflaged the set of poisonous spines hiding along the length of the fin. Harry knew, even without seeing it, that a similar set could be found along the shorter fin that trailed up the back of the tail.

After all, sirens were deadly even without their captivating songs.

Harry scrambled back at the sight, pushing himself further up the beach in an effort to get away from the creature.

The (h/c) let out a disappointed huff, letting his tail drop back against the water with a loud slapping sound. He dropped his head back against the sand, but Harry knew he was still under observation. “You realize that if I were going to make a meal of you, I would have done it by now, right? I had the perfect opportunity before. Y’know, when you were drowning?” He sighed as Harry made no move to relax, eventually pushing himself further into the water and slipping off below the waves.

Harry knew that even with the siren out of sight, it still posed a massive threat. He wasn’t sure exactly how long it would take for the crew to find him, if they ever did, so his first priority needed to be securing himself a shelter. He wasn’t sure how large the island really was, but he decided that he would rather make his camp near the beach than in the thick jungle that loomed beyond the welcoming white sands. He’d just have to make sure to take some precautions to ensure that his silver-tongued visitor would not be visiting unexpectedly.

---------------------

It took him several hours to set up a shelter that he deemed secure enough, and several more to find enough rocks to serve as a sort of barrier. He spent the rest of the day arranging the stones in rows three or four deep around the sea-facing edge of his camp, the most jagged edges facing the water. He knew that rocks alone would do little against a siren, but it made him feel better to think that if the creature wanted him dead enough to drag itself out of the water after him, it’d at least have to risk injuring itself.

-----------------------

When Harry awoke the next morning to find the siren lounging in the same spot as it had been yesterday glaring reproachfully at his meager stone barrier, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of satisfaction.

The (h/c) turned to look at him as he emerged from his shelter, (e/c) eyes glinting oddly in the light. “What’s this for?”

“To keep you away from me,” Harry replied evenly, crossing his arms over his chest.

The siren rolled his eyes grumpily, dragging a claw-tipped finger along the edge of one of the rocks, “And here I was going to offer to take you back to the other humans once you were healed.”

Harry let out a bitter laugh, “And get back in the water with a siren? Not a chance.”

“Good luck meeting back up with your family then,” the siren retorted, pushing his wet hair out of his eyes. “There are not many boats that come this far. There are too many of us up here.”

Harry’s eyes widened; if the siren was telling the truth, then he really was on his own. There would be no chance of rescue if he was deep in siren territory. He swore at the realization, hands clenching into fists at his sides. “Why should I believe you?”

The (h/c) shrugged, pushing himself to sit up further to watch the waves come rolling in, “I have no reason to lie. Because of you, I have no family to go home to. No one to protect but myself.”

The brunet was confused. “Because of me? What did I do?”

“I saved you,” the (h/c) replied simply. “They saw that as a betrayal. Thought that I was putting a stranger above the wellbeing of the pod and decided to cast me out.” He smiled wryly, eyes fixed on the horizon, “I have no one but you now.”

The siren’s honesty had Harry feeling a little guilty about his earlier hostility. And the (h/c) had a point when he said that he could’ve just let him drown, but instead he’d tried to save him and he was offering to take him back to the ship as soon as he was better.

Harry took a deep breath as he made his way closer to the siren, kicking a few of the stones out of the way as he approached. The (h/c) looked stunned by his change in attitude, but he chose to remain silent even as the brunet sat down beside him. “My mom died when I was little,” he started slowly, azure eyes fixed far past the boy beside him. “She’d gone out on the ship with my dad and his crew and when they came back she was gone along with almost half of the crew.” The breath he took was shaky and Harry felt like he didn’t have nearly enough air in his lungs to continue, “My dad says it was sirens; they were lured off of the ship by their singing and drowned.”

The siren’s (e/c) eyes were wide as he looked back at Harry. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“You don’t need to be sorry,” Harry replied slowly, “I just wanted you to understand why it’s hard for me to trust you.”

“That makes sense,” his companion nodded, the end of his tail flicking and creating a mess of tiny waves that washed up over Harry’s feet and wet the ends of his pants. “You can call me (M/N), by the way.’

“The name’s Harry,” the brunet replied, watching the light dance off his new friend’s scales hypnotically. His lips quirked up as he realized that being trapped here with him until he had recovered may not be so bad after all.

[dreamywriterinthedark]

Losing you pt II: Dressed to kill

Introductory part

Pairing: Spencer x fem!reader

Category: angst.

Resume: Reader goes undercover to trick an unsub and help the team catch him but things go dramatically down hill. She regrets not listening to Reid’s advice, he helps her cope. Basically, this is what would happen if Linda Barnes was the leader of the team and you joined.

Trigger warnings: Linda Barnes slander, death, blood, injuries, trauma, weapons; a gun and a knife, medication. (please let me know if i forgot something <3)

You checked yourself in the bathroom mirror. You wore a little black dress with glimmers that suited your morphology better than anything you’ve worn before. You ran your hands on your silhouette anxious at the thought of being so close to a serial killer. The worst part is that you had to pretend you liked him so he could trap you. You felt slightly dehumanised like you ridiculously were the cheese on a mouse trap.

“Are you done, Y/n ? I’d like to see how the dress looks on you.” JJ asked knocking on the door. You unlocked the door seeing Tara and JJ stand right in front. JJ slightly gasped and Tara’s mouth formed an ‘oh’ in reaction to your sultry beauty.

“Well, Tara, if you were ever considering an alternative career stylist might be just for you.” said JJ complimenting Tara’s choice.

“Are you okay, Y/n ? You look horrified.” Tara asked concerned putting a hand on your shoulder. “Oh, I’m fine. Let’s go see the guys,” you answered stepping out between them your heels clicking on the floor. They glanced at each other shrugging exchanging a contentment frown.

Spencer was rambling without catching a breath to Luke until he slapped his shoulder when he noticed you were out and ready. Luke made his way towards you. “Well, will you look at that ? Looks like I’ve got competition on the team’s most attractive member.”

“Shut up.” you answered playfully to which he laughed putting his hands up in defeat.

Spencer stood behind but not as far as he was before when he was chatting with Morgan. He licked his lips, hands in his pockets looking at you and only as if everyone around him disappeared. He saw you before and the fact that you wore a tight dress did not change that. His stare was more of the analytical type. As you walked down the few steps you almost tripped catching yourself thanks to the rampart. You closed your eyes with a hand on your chest to calm your heart throbbing at your ribcage. Before anyone had the time to say anything you laughed it off; “Stupid heels, pretty but could kill you in a flash.”

 The team went along and laughed with you except Spencer who only furrowed his eyebrows. You did not trip because of your shoes but because you were dizzy. You hardly slept or took care of yourself before this; you were too anxious. Spencer giving you the cold shoulder did not help either. You did not understand that very well, you thought things were good between you two. It’s not like you could guess every single that ra through his head when your own was spinning already.

Once you were all in the elevator Spencer whispered in your ear “You know, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to ?” You felt his warm breath on your neck, this closeness along with his voice made you feel fizzy inside.

“This is the only way.” you whispered back nodding your head now looking into his eyes.

You were going to meet the unsub at his favorite hunting spot; the dive bar. You were sitting aside Tara at the back of the SUV while Penelope was at your right violently typing at her laptop. At the front was Luke at the steering wheel. He pulled up by a secluded spot a few blocks away from the bar. Penelope was rarely on the field but you were glad she was. She was not only an anchor for you since the beginning, but your first true friend within the FBI. She liked to call you “kitten” or her “little protégée.” Plus she was taking care of your spying devices such as your ear piece and the mic she would hide in your dress including your GPS tracker.

Luke’s phone started ringing, he answered. After a very brief conversation he debriefed it to you three. “It was Barnes, they’re ready. Once you get out of the car, Y/n, the rest of the team is going to join us in this car to listen to your conversation enhance the unsub’s confession. Except JJ is going to be on the field undercover to update us on your every move.” You nodded to let him know you understand the instructions. “Then we’ll follow you to the location the unsub takes you to and arrest him. Tara and I will be out there in hiding in case anything happens. Got it?”

“Got it.” You said gesturing toward the door at your right. Penelope got out with you, before you left she said “Just know, we’ll be right here listening to everything but please be safe. I don’t want to lose my best friend.”

“Penelope, you’re not going to lose me.” You hugged her tight, “Plus you know if I died I’d haunt all of you.” You chuckled as you detached yourself squishing her hand before walking away for good.

Everything went according to plan, you gave the eye to the unsub, you perfectly fit his idea of the perfect victim. You acted naive and what if you were ? Because even though the whole time you had the worst gut feeling you still went thinking that was going to grant you validation from the leader of the team, Linda Barnes. The cold hearted one that can not trust a woman yet you trusted her, how pathetic.

The unsub took you to a dark alley but before Tara and Luke could get out of the SUV, Barnes told them to stand their ground.

“Why ?” Tara asked.

“Because I can’t risk the unsub seeing you and lose his confession or evidence.” he answered.

You started panicking, going from anxiety to a state of agony as the unsub pointed a knife at you.

“Well, can we go now ?!” asked Luke.

“We can’t take this risk just yet.”

“You know what ? I can’t risk Y/n being dead!” Spencer said rising from his seat but getting slammed back down by Linda.

“It’s okay, we’re not going to let anything happe-“ A gunshot interrupted this back and forth conversation. Everyone ran to you seeing you on the floor, blood slipping through the cracks of tar. Your shaky hands dropped the small gun right next to your boy bag purse. You tried to stand up but you couldn’t, you wished you could cry but you were too shocked, too numb to even let a whimper out. Spencer took off his windbreaker before running to you helping you up and slinging it over your shoulders with an arm around them. 

As he guided you towards the medics he bit back at Barnes, “Not going to let anything happen, right, Linda ?” He did not respond instead he looked down at the floor which would now let him forget the repercussion for his actions since it was tinted crimson. What the team was doing in your tear stained glory you were unaware nor did you care. You sat on the edge of the ambulance as Reid made sure you were taking care of properly like a polite version of a scientific Karen. He leaned in towards you, his head titled looking at your face.

“She has a scratch on her cheek, you might want to check for a concussion.” advised the genius doctor. He straightened his index finger a few inches from your face asking you to follow it with your eyes. As you did the exercise, he noticed your eyes fluttering to hold back tears. When the medic was done with cleaning and sanitizing your bloody hands and went back inside the ambulance to gather anything needed to heal your wounds and medication, Spencer sat down next to you in silence as you stared in the distance. His eyes landed on your face when saw you put your hand down drying a tear. You felt him looking at you.

“Suit yourself, you can say you told me so” you said breaking silence.

“You know, Y/n…” he started taking your hand in his, you looked back at him, “I’m really glad you’re alive.” This made you immediately sink into his side taking him by surprise, unable to hold back the tears. He leaned into your touch, shutting his eyes feeling your pain and mentally sending you his energy in hope it might heal you.

The medic walking towards the two of you, when she looked up from the container in her hands full of medical products she stopped in her tracks; “Alright, I’ll come back, uh, in a minute.”

“You should hydrate yourself,” he advised handing you a water bottle as you put your arms in the sleeve of his jacket. As you took it, he rose from his feet a hand on your shoulder as he said; “I’m going to go check in with the others, you’re in good hands.” You nodded looking up at the medic smiling at you, you managed a weakened smile back.

When Reid was back with the team, he noticed they were arguing. Linda took Reid’s presence as his opportunity to shut the other members down; “Ah Reid, how is she ?”

“She’s injured but she’s holding up,” he answered fidgeting with his hands. The team was concerned about you but did not want to circle around you, make you talk to too many people at once since that would overwhelm you. Your injuries were quite superficial, you were scarred, you were bruised but you were going to be okay…physically.

Once back at the police department, you took off Reid’s windbreaker folding it on his desk with a post it note that said “Thanks :)” You went back to your desk changing into some more comfortable shoes than the heels you wore all night. You tried to channel your thought but as you were about to get lost in the turmoil, a low male voice made you breakout of your trans.

“Y/n, may I see you in the sheriff’s office ?” You nodded hurtfully knowing things were about to heat up for you, fearing you were in trouble.

You’ve been in Barnes’ office for quite a bit of time or at least longer than usual.

“How long ?” Luke asked.

“Oh at least 10 minutes.” Garcia answered, “and he isn’t the very chatty type.” The entire team was in front of the steps that led to offices, some leaned on desks, some fidgeted in place in impatience.

“He was going to kill me, Barnes!” You screamed.

“We would’ve protected you!”

“But you didn’t!” You felt your heart sink, “you didn’t.” There was a beat too long for your own taste. As you were about to leave Linda stopped you in your tracks; “Maybe you should take the rest of the week off, take some time for yourself.” You looked back at her in disgust, shocked she had the audacity to blame it all on you. “Sure, my pleasure.” you responded almost slamming the door behind you. However, you weren’t as pleased as your pride made you claim you were.

Once you were doing your walk of shame, Garcia hugged you and handed you her favorite cat squishy toy knowing you were in distress. They all encircled around your desk as you gathered your things.

“She is making me take the week off.” you informed them.

“Yeah, we heard so.” JJ said nodding sympathetically.

“We’re with you, Y/n.” Tara said.

“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to let us know.” Garcia told you moving her hands. “Snacks, blankets, a shoulder to cry on.”

“If I do I will, thank you Garcia but I think I’ll be fine.” When you were ready to leave, Spencer offered to drive you back which you decline. They all stood there watching you leave confused at how ‘fine’ you looked despite experiencing a near death experience.

[the-silentium]

Bloodhound

Masterlist - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4

Fors is an Original planet. I do not give permission to people to use it for their own fics, the planet, the animals, the Nightmares, the lore or anything related to Fors. Thank you.

Pairing: Bad Batch x Reader

Words: 5172 words

Warnings: Blood, gore, curse, monsters, ANGST.

A/N: Yessss two chaps in two days!! Thanks to every single one of you who left comments and kuddos on the previous chap. You're all awesome 💜

**Also! Words in bold are words said in French, which means the clones can't understand it. I stopped writing the French in actual French for you guys, it'll be more useful in the future.**

Taglist:  @haloangel391​ / @lightning-wolffe​ / @cherrydemon5​ / @and-claudia​ / @clone-rambles​ / @mandaloriandin​ / @lackofhonor / @gaymasonjar

------------------------------------

//25 minutes earlier//

"That's not him! Guys!" You yelled in the comlink you fished in your pocket in a haste, almost making yourself trip when you pulled on the fabric of your pants at the same time.

The gap separating you from them was increasing more and more with each step they took. Damn their long legs and commando training, you weren't made to chase this kind of prey!

"I know his voice Y/N! That's him!" Wrecker was too damn sure of himself, his confidence affecting his brothers' judgment as well. 

It didn't take long for rule number one to be thrown overboard and surprisingly it wasn't by the one you expected, no offense Techie. 

"Stay under the trees!"

This couldn't be happening. They were all running headfirst to their deaths. According to the lore, Venustes didn't affect more than one person at a time. You couldn't know for sure if the lore was reliable or if the other three were following out of concern for the fake 99, but they had to snap out of their own mind trap soon or else they would all be dragged down. 

"H-" A clawed hand appeared inches from your face, cutting short your attempt to call out for your sergeant. 

Instinctively, you threw your body to the ground to avoid getting grabbed by the head and ultimately being crushed like a berry in its grasp and crawled to continue running. Alas, the Algax wasn't as dumb as you thought, his other hand swiftly reached forward to stab your right thigh with one of its fingers, preventing you from escaping. 

Your screams of pain were muffled by the hand pinning your face to the dirt, waiting before your lungs were empty of any air to lace its long sharp digits around your torso. The feeling barely registered through the thick fog of pain coming from your thigh. 

Your first instinct was to yell at the top of your lungs for help, maybe your distress would get them out of their haze, saving their lives as well as yours, but you quickly found out that your lungs were empty and unable to expand to receive more oxygen. 

The lack of air in your system mixed with the agonizing pain from the retreating talon in your thigh almost knocked you unconscious. You could feel your blood escaping your wound to drip down your legs and nourish the ground under your suspended form. 

It leaned closer, a low crackling sound escaped the slits on its temples. With considerable efforts, your good leg moved up to push against its torso to keep its horrifying face away from yours, the up-close view causing more tears to gather in your eyes. 

Fear and the lack of oxygen quickly took over your body in the form of violent shivers shooking your whole frame. The building pressure encompassing you once more was excruciating, your bow laid on the ground out of reach while your arms were pinned down along your sides, keeping you from stabbing your way out of the situation. 

All you could do was scream in your head out of pain and fear, waiting until your bones gave up under the tightening grasp to pierce your organs and kill you slowly. The boys seemed way too entranced to come to your aid, leaving you to feel as miserable as when you were hunting for the village, without back up and entirely alone. If you were lucky, you'd die alone without another beast feasting on your still alive-but-unable-to-move self. This would be a nice death, as horrible as it sounded. 

You hoped the boys would survive though. Even if they apparently totally forgot that you were there. Not that this came to you as a surprise. People who gravitate around you for some time always tend to go away on their own, leaving you behind just like the clones. But you couldn't hate them for it, your heart already knew it was coming and had prepared itself for this right moment. 

After all, they had to lie to their chain of command and train a primitive idiot how to fly a ship, they were trapped on this infernal planet once again because you nearly died and they hadn't seen the Shinehorn sneaking its way into their ship, being too busy fussing over your comatose self. Oh and let's not forget that you ended an innocent's life right in front of them without warning. It was only a matter of time before they left. 

Plus, if they were so desperate to meet this 99, it surely meant that he was highly special to them whereas you were the newbie, so no you weren't mad. You merely wished you had someone who could make you forget everything around like this 99. It seemed nice to have someone that important.  

And finally, if you died maybe you would find a way to come back to haunt them. This could be fun, you could mess with Crosshair's rifle, disturb Tech while he was tweaking with his prototypes, pushing Wrecker around to your liking because he couldn't possibly defend himself against you anymore and most important of all, you could mess with Hunter by constantly untying his goddamn bandana. It would drive them all mad, you knew it. 

After some thoughts, you knew they would make it off this planet alive. Together they had a good chance. Hunter's acute senses along with their brains and elite commando training gave them an advantage the natives never had. Hopefully, they would stay in these parts of the jungle until daylight, where they knew how to deal with the monsters living around. 

Yeah... Good luck guys. 

Eyes closed, you waited for the inevitable snaps of your bones. It resonated between the trees, sickening and disgusting you to the core, but you weren't flooded under any more pain than the one radiating from your thigh. Instead, you felt nauseous for a whole second when you were once again thrown away, landing on the ground harshly. 

Your body rolled on the dirt, bouncing a couple of times under the force of impact. For as far as you remembered there wasn't a single time in your life when you've been thrown around as much as tonight. This was getting tiring and it’s been dark for only a bit more than two hours. Lucky you. 

Still laying on your back, you breathed erratically to provide the much-needed oxygen to your organs, watching upside down the Algax receiving a second arrow to the head, effectively scaring it away. 

A hunter. You were saved. You were fine. 

Huffing, your body went limp at the lack of imminent danger and talons menacing your life. Maybe you could rest-

"Shit. She's really alive?" A hunter you recognized as Farlan walked out of the shadows to slowly approach your form like you were a trapped animal. 

"So it's true then. It's your fault they're back." Another Hunter spat, literally, missing your face by an inch. Kerth never liked you, obviously. 

You would have liked to say that those were the hunters you desperately wanted to come and rescue you, but then it would be a lie. None of them appreciated your presence even slightly so they all meant the same thing. This will be a drag. 

"Now, who's back? And why is it always my fault?" You pushed on your forearm to sit straight, grunting at the pain in your right leg. 

Shit. The hole left by the talon wasn't big, approximately two inches wide, but it was bleeding profusely. It was sickening to be able to see the ground through your flesh so you opted to keep pressure on the wound with your hands, camouflaging the hole like it wasn't even there. If only the pain could disappear as easily...

"The nightmares. They're back because you're still alive." Kerth pulled a piece of gauze from a pocket on his belt, the sight of the medical supply pulled a relieved sigh out of you. 

Wait what?

"So the council wants a word." He said with so much venom that your heart skipped a beat. This wasn't good. At. All. 

Before you could react, the gauze found its way in your mouth, quickly followed by an irritating rope that despite your weak thrashing around got attached behind your head. 

You were brutally pushed onto your belly, hands pulled behind your back to be attached tightly with skillful fingers. A muffled scream escaped your mouth when a knee pressed onto your wounded thigh, tears joining your blood on the dirt. 

"Because of you, I've lost friends tonight. I'll make sure to pay you a visit once the council is done with your stupid ass." He growled in your ear. 

Oh, you were so dead. Your bet was on the council, but if by some miracle they weren't the one to put an end to your life, then Kerth was the next bet. Maybe you shouldn't have sabotaged his weapons the day of the hunt competition. Or put some poison ivy in his hunting clothes. Or laugh whole-heartedly when he got shit on by a Furant during his ceremonial speech in front of the whole village. Or… one of the numerous pranks you pulled on him for payback of his daily shitty attitude towards you.

Farlan was the one to pull you up and push you forward, leaving the job to spot the monsters to Kerth. The thought of running or fighting was completely futile. You wouldn't run very far with your untreated leg, there was the possibility that they would shoot you down out of spite too. They seemed very fed up at you for some reason. How could you be the cause of the nightmares reappearing? Also, they were gone? Since when?!

This was getting weirder and weirder. 

_________________

//Present - 10:48 pm//

"I got her position. She's close” The corners of Wrecker’s lips lifted slightly. They could track you, everything would be fine from here. You weren’t lost. “and unmoving." The whispered last words rang loud and clear in all the clones' ears.

Wrecker's breath wasn't the only one to abruptly stop. 

The smile quickly left his face, as well as a majority of his blood. You couldn’t be dead. This couldn’t be happening. 

“Where?” Hunter’s hands clenched and unclenched repeatedly around his blaster,

“700 meters that way.” He pointed deeper into the jungle, where they all came from. 

A weight fell on his stomach and he had to force a deep breath in. You hadn’t made it out of the jungle with them. They had outrun you and left you behind on your own. 

Without a word Hunter took the lead, Tech following right behind with Crosshair on his heels. Wrecker took a single second to gulp down his guilt and shake his arms lightly to regain feeling in his body and not worsen his wounds. He followed silently behind the group, squinting attentively to discern the shadows with his half working equipment.

“300 meters.”

You were resourceful. You knew your planet like the back of your hand. There was no way you were dead. 

“100.”

Please 99. Don’t let her be dead.

Crosshair stumbled on Tech as the brown-haired clone abruptly stopped, looking around like he was searching for something. With a step forward, Tech crouched to grab a small object on the ground to show it to the rest of them. 

“Kriff!” Hunter punched a nearby tree, exhausted by this succession of ill-fated events. There in Tech’s hand was your comlink, their only way of locating you on this living prison that was this planet. 

Wrecker held onto the last hope he had. There wasn’t any blood, you could still be fine. Maybe you’d dropped your comlink while running away. 

“Hunter.” Crosshair’s voice was unsettling. His usual dry snarky self was replaced by a more small and scared tone that the soldier hadn’t heard in a while. “That’s a lot of blood.” 

And it was. The puddle was big enough and it looked like you'd struggled quite a bit in it too.

The world was spinning. He knew battalions lost men every time they went out on missions. It was a common occurrence for soldiers to die and the remaining ones had to suck it up ad continue the fight. But Wrecker wasn’t used to this. From the very beginning, they were the four of them, surviving each mission thrown their way to fight another day. He never got attached to anyone out of his Batch but you and losing his first comrade in the field hit him hard. 

Sure, the death of 99 left him in crumbles but with you it was different. He was supposed to have your back just like you had his. You saved his life and he didn’t save yours. 

As his eyes fell to the ground in shame, he noticed a small object at the tip of his boot. 

“Tech.” He called, as he raised back up with your earbud in hand.

“So we can’t contact her, she can’t contact us, she’s unarmed and wounded.” Crosshair resumed the situation, your bloody bow, and quiver in hand. "If she's not dead, she'll be soon." 

"There's no way she'd run deeper into the jungle wounded and without her bow. It's suicide." Hunter tore his gaze from the large puddle at his feet to follow sparse dark spots staining the grass to their right. "It could be a new critter that doesn't kill right away or she found someone or something else to protect her." 

So there was a possibility that you weren't dead. Wrecker felt relieved that his brother came to that conclusion, his own mind was working in slow motion, too distressed at his feelings to allow him to concentrate and think. 

"Whatever it is, we'll find her." 

Even if the words weren't meant to reassure him, Wrecker felt more at ease knowing that they had a way to track you and that you were possibly safe with someone or something. All he hoped now was that you were alive long enough for them to find you and that ultimately, you'd forgive him. 

Wrecker rushed behind his brothers who followed the trail, jogging at a steady rhythm, slow enough to be able to detect the monsters that might target them but fast enough that they would catch up to you at some point. 

It didn't take long for the first Algax to cut their road, the shy creature poking its terrifying head from behind a large trunk as soon as it heard them approach.

Wrecker tensed, already gripping the handle of his blaster with his left hand despite the knowledge that his weapon was useless against them. Having his blaster in hand, even if it wasn't the right one, gave him a sense of security. 

The dark blue creature didn't have time to lift its hand to reach for them that an arrow flew right into the trunk next to its head. The beast hissed, its long fingers hitting the arrow in anger before moving out of its hiding spot to engage the group. 

"Damn thing." Crosshair growled, at the bow in his hand or at the beast, Wrecker didn't know. All he knew was that he almost cheered when his brother managed to scare the beast away with two arrows piercing its chest. 

"Nice work." Tech approved, light sticks in hand instead of his blasters. 

"You were right. It is primitive." Crosshair growled, following Hunter who resumed the tracking of your blood on the ground. 

"I'm always right." He chirped, eyes scanning the shadows. 

"Debatable." His brother scoffed back. 

"Wrecker." Hunter called from the front, eyes quickly darting forward when he caught his brother's eyes. "Let your blaster. Take your blade." 

"Okay." Against his best instinct, the clone let go of his DC-17, letting it fall on the jungle floor to grab his vibroblade in a firm grip. The blade felt weird in his left hand but it would do. Knives worked on those things, he was still safe. 

The surroundings were calm for a while, and the more time they spent no crossing path with any monster, the more the tension built between them. Apprehension kept them on their toes, eating away at their nerves slowly. 

The next Algax they encountered stood tall in their way like he was challenging them to jump at it. Maybe they were used to being at the top of the food chain, just like the clones were used to being at the top of their game. Regrettably, the clones were in way over their head on this planet but they would make sure that they weren't the only ones.

Instead of slowing down, Hunter charged at the Algax, stopping only when the sharp metal of his vibroblade was deeply set into the monster's chest. 

Wrecker waited for a screech, for the creature to start thrashing around or flee like the one that fell down a tree with you. Seconds passed and the Algax lifted its arms like nothing happened, like there wasn't a long knife jabbed in its thorax and made a move to grab the sergeant who swiftly jumped away, blade still in hand. 

"What?!" Hunter exclaimed, facing the creature once again. 

An arrow in the head managed to get the desired effect, the tall beast running away in its signature hiss. 

"Why didn't it work? Her knife worked on them!" Hunter was getting more and more on edge. 

"Maybe it could be because our technology is too advanced or because our equipment is not native." Tech remarked. "It is logical in a sense. This planet created its own rules to protect itself from invaders, so it may have created a sort of protection against anything exterior to its own resources."

"It is possible?" Wrecker found it quite hard to believe. A planet controlling what could kill or not? Blasters could kill anything!

"The planet changes beliefs in the real thing. Yeah I think it's possible." He deadpanned with an eye roll.

Suddenly, the vibroblade in Wrecker's hand didn't provide the same sense of security as before. All their hope resided in Crosshair and Tech's hands. 7 arrows and 3 light sticks. Talk about limited resources. If only he had his backpack containing all his explosives, he could get something done. 

Too deep in thought, Wrecker didn't notice the wall of dirt right in front of them until he almost rammed into it. They were back to their landmark. 

"We missed each other." Hunter growled in frustration at the sight of the blood splatters leaving the safety of the trees to disappear under the waterfall. 

Wrecker understood immediately, his own frustration building in his chest. They entered the jungle and you got out of it. Maker knew Wrecker was used to bad timing but this was a new low. Fate was laughing right in their faces. 

Cautiously, they left the dense vegetation to venture into the open area where Wrecker almost became bird food. His eyes were fixed in the open sky, some stars were visible through the small clouds. The bright moon wasn't at its highest yet, Wrecker estimated that there was another hour before the satellite reached its peak. 

The provided light allowed him to relax the muscles around his eyes. He hasn't been squinting for long that the beginning of a headache started to form in his skull. 

As they neared the wet dirt, three sets of footprints were easily distinguishable in the wet dirt. The spacing told them that none of you were running. If nothing was chasing you, then why weren't you patched up?

"We have to find her quick." Crosshair spat what every brother thought quietly. 

If you were with people that didn't patch you up and had plenty of time to do so then they weren't on your side. Even without medical supplies, they should have been able to stop the bleeding one way or the other.

"Stay close." Hunter called, venturing closer to the waterfall where your blood disappeared. 

With each step forward, the sound of the waterfall hitting the river below became more and more deafening. The sound was assaulting his ears to a point where he almost ripped his helmet off to cover his ears. He managed to hold on, focussing instead on his leader who clearly had more problems than him. 

Hunter had removed his own helmet to pass it on to Tech in hope of covering some of the uproars with his hands. The relief must not have been enough for his arms began to shake, his hands pushing firmly against the sides of his head.  

If only he could reach for his brother and take some of his pain, Wrecker would do it in a heartbeat. 

"Let's make this quick." Crosshair took the front, his steps taking him behind the waterfall where a tin border of rocks formed a path to the other side.

Tech nodded his head towards Hunter, his hands already full with the sticks and the extra helmet. 

"Got him." Wrecker confirmed. His left hand reached for his brother's pauldron right after sheathing his blade. 

With practiced movements, Wrecker bent to carefully set his pain down, now wasn't the time to listen to his body. 

With slow steps the tank walked on the wet trail of rocks behind the roaring wall of water, his arm tightening slightly around the body on his shoulder. If Hunter reacted Wrecker couldn't hear it. 

The rocks were flat enough that he didn't slip once. The problem appeared on the other side, where the blood trail ended abruptly a couple of feet away from the bank.

"Where to now?" Wrecker asked, still supporting his limp brother. 

"No fucking idea." Crosshair grumbled, visor moving from right to left where the jungle extended as far as his eyes could see in both directions.

Hunter's feet returned to the ground when soft pats disturbed the tall clone carrying him, his hands were at his sides, fingers clenched into fists as he grounded himself through deep breaths. 

"Are you okay?" Wrecker dared to ask, his worry for his family finally escaping him. 

Hunter usually took more time to recover from an overwhelming episode like this one and it was apparent that he still needed time, but he opened his eyes nonetheless, ignoring Wrecker's question to grip onto Tech for support and deeply breathe in, brows furrowed in concentration. 

His head turned in a different direction as the three remaining clones scrutinized the line of trees for signs of a threat. 

"It's faint." Hunter whispered, still deep within himself. "Blood. That way." He pointed at their right before reaching for his helmet in the engineer's hands. 

"You're good to walk?" Tech questioned, watching his C.O. warily. His hands lifted slightly in apprehension that Hunter may faint under the pressure he was forcing on his body.

"Yes." It was weak but firm, leaving no place for discussion, not that either of them would have said anything. They knew what you meant to the sergeant so it was better for their sakes to not put themselves between you and him. 

Back in position, clone force 99 advanced through the trees, their pace building at each passing second. They were almost running when finally they stopped, their boots almost slipping under them in a sticky substance. 

"Karkin' fuck." Hunter cursed, his hands tightening around his vibroblade, eyes glued to the corpse lying at their feet. 

"That was you smelled?" Crosshair pushed the eviscerated loth wolf with the tip of his foot. 

"Ye-"

Screams resonated in the distance, cutting Hunter off. Wrecker's heartbeat loudly in his ears, almost covering the yells of pain under its incessant percussion against his ribcage.

Every single one of the soldiers breathed out in relief at the lack of a female scream. However, they tensed in apprehension as the screams faded and howls filled the air in their place. A new beast was around and they didn't have any idea of how to react to it. Run? Hide? Would the knife work this time? Or the bow? 

"There were two distinct voices. Males." Tech stopped his recon of the surroundings to catch his batch's eyes. "Maybe it's them." 

"Worth a shot." Hunter nodded, already moving in the direction of the screams, although this time he kept a slower pace, fully conscious that they were in unknown territory, charging at unknown beasts. 

The screams weren't too far, but they obviously came from the opposite direction Hunter initially pointed them to. Hopefully, they would find you there, wounded but alive, and he wouldn't beat himself too much for his mistake. 

Despite knowing that they were useless, Wrecker retrieved his vibroblade from its sheath. The need for a weapon in his hand was too great to ignore, every cell of his being felt the danger ahead and wanted to be prepared although he could never really be prepared for anything this planet threw at him. 

He cringed every time a twig broke under his boots, the soft sound resonating in his own ears like the grenades he liked to throw on the battlefield, resonating into the silent jungle to scream their position at anything that dared to listen. Maybe it was paranoïa slowly creeping its way into his brain, using the aftereffect of the corrupted hallucinations he suffered to play around with his senses. 

Just like right now, the more he concentrated to decipher the shadows with his half working helmet, the more strange the forms became. At first, it was spots from his constant squinting, then he saw small blue lights on the horizon, dancing haphazardly around. After a couple of blinks, the pale lights disappeared as fast as they arrived, leading the bald clone to shrug them off as his eyes playing tricks on him. The constant stress was definitely getting a toll on him, and let’s not talk about the two dives into a strong current. Once this night was over and they get back at the Marauder, he’ll sleep for two weeks straight. 

Softs whines could be heard over unnerving growls and occasional barks, quickly catching the group’s attention. 

“Blood.” Hunter informed them over comm, his whisper almost blending with the rustles of leaves in front of them. 

The group halted in their tracks as Hunter raised his fist, Crosshair already had the bow cranked, ready to shoot at whatever alerted their leader. Carefully peeking over Tech’s shoulder, Wrecker craned his neck to the side to see what was happening around the boulder they used as cover.

He could see the posterior of a large animal, jerking successively like it was pulling at something. Disturbing yelps filled the air and the animal fell backward with its prize tightly encased between its teeth. It rolled near their position but was too preoccupied with the bloody arm in its possession to detect the clones observing it. 

Wrecker knew Tech was recording, there was no way he wasn’t. Not when the monster before them had no skin whatsoever to cover its bones. The canine-like monstrosity easily reached Tech’s waist, had no external skin, leaving its bones to shine under the green tint of their night vision, muscles were observable between the ribs and along the joints, but that was it. No skin. 

"If only we could capture one." He muttered to which Hunter answered with a glare under his helmet. 

As it ate, Tech’s appreciative whispers filled the comm, muttering about the extra smaller ribs that circled the abdomen of the monster, keeping its intestines from falling all over the ground and marveling about the movement of each muscle, totally bare for his curious eyes to see and analyze at will. 

"Fine fine. We won't be getting one of those perfect study specimens." He grumbled, reporting his gaze to the organism that crunched the humerus with only moderate difficulty. "Fascinating." 

"No, it's not." Crosshair elbowed Hunter who redirected his gaze to a hollow tree where a figure was shivering, hidden in the darkness. 

"That's her." He confirmed, the sniper's impeccable sight was not to be doubted.

"Why aren't they attacking her?" Wrecker questioned, puzzled. 

Two other beasts were walking only steps away from your poor hiding spot, ignoring you totally despite acknowledging your presence with occasional glances towards you.

"I have some theories but they are all shots in the dark." Tech answered when he realized that they were all waiting for his highlights. 

"That's just perfect." Crosshair growled. 

The tall clone counted 4 of them, walking between two bodies to tear at the flesh and stain their white skulls with fresh blood. 

He wondered if his brute strength would be enough to smash their bones if needed when he noticed you slowly standing up, hands behind your body to steady yourself against the trunk. 

"Maybe she could come here instead of us going there." Wrecker pointed out. If only he could catch your attention without catching theirs. "Tech. Do you still have your laser?" 

The toy they kept around to annoy Crosshair whenever he was too relaxed on leave could be more useful than its original purpose.

Wrecker was amazed at how unafraid of the canines you were, standing next to one of them to pull at the bow on one of the beheaded corpses with your foot.

"Good idea." Tech walked to the other side of the rock where he could have a clear view of your limping form, slowly making your way toward one of the dead bodies. 

"She's tied up." Remarked Hunter, his voice merely above a whisper but frightening nonetheless. Your aggressors should be glad that the dogs got them first.

Crosshair had the creature in his aim, an arrow already pointed at its head if it dared to make a move in your direction. 

At one point the bow got stuck, the snapping mouth of the monster next to you was deeply buried into the open chest of what once was a man, blocking your progression toward the shoulders.

Wrecker's breath blocked in his throat and Crosshair cursed under his breath as they saw you tentatively poke the skull of the monster with a very shaky foot before almost falling on your ass with a muffled yelp at how quickly you moved it back when the big bony dog jerked its head up to look at you. 

Your wide eyes stared back at it until it lost interest and moved further down the body to nib at some abdominal organs. Quickly you pulled out the bow with your foot, head tilted down to your chest to look at your work.

Tech used this moment to point the red laser at your chest, immediately catching your attention by moving it from side to side. Wrecker grinned as your head lifted in their direction, eyes wide in surprise. You spotted them in seconds, maybe because Wrecker was waving. 

Words were muffled by the rope around your mouth, but the wild shaking of your head was clear. Even with only a half functioning helmet, Wrecker could read the fear in your gaze. 

Tech couldn't close the light fast enough. One skull turned at the source of the small brightness. As soon as it spotted them, earsplitting yaps covered the snarls of the feasting animals, catching the pack’s attention simultaneously. Soon 4 pairs of predatory red eyes stared at them, their maws chattering in anticipation.

[y2katsuki]

you changed me

angst angst but also traitor!y/n  :o i also left the quirk part empty, so you could envision any quirk you want to have 

word count: 2124

“You will go in, collect and report.  Nothing more, nothing less.  Fail and you do not see tomorrow.”

“Yes, father.”

Father stood tall, his 7′1 figured your 5′5 figured.  You learned from day one that you were born to be a pawn, not to be loved.  Looking straight, lifeless, your father placed his hands on your shoulders before leaning to say something before he left.

“I blessed you with some of the All For One, use it wisely.  You have always been a fast and smart learner.  Don’t fail me.”

You woke up gasping.  Covered in sweat.  A hand crept up, gently pulling you into a hug.  You look up to see the blonde boy.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay.  I’m here.”  He soothes you.  You hug onto him.  Just close your eyes tightly. 

The day is upon.  The day, your father and his league will come.  A day that is supposed to be the happiest moment, graduation.  You came into U.A. as a regular student, meant to collect and observe the upcoming heroes.  That was your mission, nothing else.  However, something did happen.  Emotions and feelings happened.  Being trapped with brats for a couple of years, when you had no exposure to people, is overwhelming.  Your father would tell you to detach from any sorta feelings, it will only obstruct goals.  He never showed any emotions as he beat up down to build you up to the perfect pawn.  He never calculated how being with others during a period of emotions will affect you.  After all, you are still a kid.

“I’m okay.  I just...it’s an old memory now.  It’s okay because you are here.”  You sadly smile. 

Love.  Love was a scary emotion you experienced.  The only emotion you experience was fear.  So when your heart tightens, skipped a beat, or felt full, you thought you were dying.  Only to find out that these feelings were love.  You were in love with the angry boy in class 1-A, Bakugou Katsuki.  He was first a rival, a strong one.  You observed him and his childhood friend until you realized that your eyes only followed the explosions.

“I will always be here, dumbass.  I know I don’t say it much, but you are truly the person I care and love for.”  He squeezed you.  Your guilty eats you up.

“I love you too.  I just want to be with you tonight, please.  Last day as students, am I right?”  You bury your face into his chest and he laughs.  The two of you lay.

Bakugou sleeps, as you lay restless.  You slid out quietly before putting on some shoes.  You walk the halls of the dorm, in taking everything.  Might as well, you will be dead tomorrow.  Walking to the places that you and Bakugou spent time at.  Where you built memories, became friends with others, and more.  Never realizing that tears started to flow out.  So this is sadness, extreme sadness.

Tomorrow One For All will come.  When the heroes will least expect it.  You didn’t want to go, you didn’t want to help him.  You wanted to stay with your friends and boyfriend.  With the people who loved and accept you.  You also didn’t want to die without apologizing and giving an explanation to those you loved.  Even if they decide to forgive you, you know that One For All will hunt you down, troubling everyone.

“So he will be here tomorrow.”  Lifting your head, seeing All Might, in his smaller form.

“Y-yeah.  I-I don’t know....wh-what to do?”  You cried.

All Might had found you out after the sports festival.  He recognized that quirk anywhere.  His enemy, All For One.  You couldn’t hide it anymore.  The guilty was finally eating you whole.  You told him everything.  You told him how you didn’t want to do it.  That you had grown to love everyone.  He listened.  He couldn’t blame you.  A child, born to be a pawn.  Instead, he hugged you.  Told you that he would take care of it.  That you will get to live old with your classmates, happily.  After some time, you and All Might when to a private room to talk.

“There are only two options.  I die in my father's hands or...I will be arrested and hate by those I love.  To be quite frank, dying is not a bad option.” You spoke after calming down.

“You won’t be arrested, I will protect you.”  

“Yeah, but everyone I love will hate me.  I-I don’t want that.  Especially Bakugou.  Dying not that bad, I won’t have to deal with him.  But...I do want to leave something for everyone.”  Reaching into your pocket, you pull out a crumpled up letter.  “After everything, whether I die in his hands or lose everyone.  Please give them this letter, if they are willing to listen to anything I said.”  You hand the letter, you struggled to write for the last few days, to him.

All-day Bakugou asked if you were okay, saying you looked pale and sick.  You told him it just because you are nervous about the ceremony and sad that this was the last day all of your classmates will be together.  You were on edge.  There was nothing to do but go with your father, to avoid any of your friends to get hurt.  You could feel the air grow colder.

It happened in a flash.  People screaming, loud sounds.  Villains.  The only word that you could hear from the screams.  The class and pro-heroes spring to action, running towards the commotion and helping people get somewhere safe.  You see everything in slow motion before feel Yaoyorozu grabs your hand.

“Let’s go Y/N!  We have to help.”

The two of you running to the action, seeing the pro-heroes fighting off the villains.  You spot All Might, before running towards him.  Before reaching him, you were knocked down.  You look up to see the youngest member, Toga Himiko.

“It’s been a while y/n.”  She bends down to your level, smiling.  “Time to go home.”

You strike her.  She looked surprised, before getting instance to fight you.  She laughs, the reason why clicking quickly in her mind.  She runs towards you, with her knife ready in her hand.  You dodge before kicking her down. 

“Don’t tell me you pity these heroes.  That gold coming from you!”  She screams while taking jabs at you.  You grab her wrist twisting it, her weapon falling.  Twisting her around, pushing your knee in her back, and pinning her down.  

“You know nothing about me.” 

Looking up, you see All Might struggling with your father.  You get up, leaving a laughing Toga on the ground.  With All For One back towards you, you charge up your quick.  Taking a chance to land a hit on him.  He looked back and sees you there.

“Ah, there you are.”  All Might stands next to you.  Everyone’s eyes moving towards.  “You are making this harder than it should be y/n.”  The villains back away, retreating to One For All side.

“I won’t allow you, to hurt my friends.”

“We didn’t drag them into this, you did.”  His hand reached down to grab you.  You were frozen in fear, remembering that he is still more powerful than you and he could easily kill you and your friends without a second thought.

All Might aims for a hit, to protect you, only for your father to avoid it.  Sending All Might a distance away.  You look in total fear.  You see all your classmates and heroes look at you.  Until your eyes meet Bakugou’s.

“Y-y/n.  Come here.”  He said, voice shaking.  Your heart breaking in the process.

“She won’t.”  You feel the presence of your father behind you.  “We don’t want to fight you heroes, we just came to collect something that belongs to us.”  His hands fall on your shoulders.  The looks of your classmates and teachers scared you more than death.

“I-It’s not true!  R-right....y/n.”  Bakugou stepped up.

“I’m s-sorry Katsuki.”  His face made you want to die.  “I-I had too, b-but you guys changed me.  You changed me.  I want to fight along with you.  That’s why I will prove it.”  You felt a flame ignite inside you.

You wanted to at least have the chance to prove that you choose them.  You chose to change.  You want to try to prove that your feelings were real.  Your quirk started to flare up, as your emotions got stronger.  You grab onto your father hand, that laid on you should before turning to place a hit.  You abruptly stopped, your hand being a few centimeters away from his chest.  You look down, seeing the open wounds on your abdominal region.  You let a shaky breath out before looking up to meet your father’s eyes.  For the first time ever, you see your father’s eyes, lifeless, and no emotion.

“Worthless.”  Was the only word he said, before dropping you.  Your vision started to darken, your body getting colder.  You watched has your father and his league leave.  Your arm reached out towards him.

You feel a nudge, slowly turning your head over.  All Might tried to apply pressure on your wounds.  His mouth moving but nothing is coming out.  You then see your classmate approach you, Bakugou coming closer to your darken vision.

“I-I tri-tried...” Was the only thing you could mutter.

“Kid, I’m so sorry, I thought I could protect you.”  All Might look at you, knowing you were slipping.

“Can I?”  All Might looks up to see Bakugou.  He nodded, as he backed away.  Bakugou falls onto his knees, placing his hand on the wound.  You grab his hand.

“I’m sorry.  I wanted to tell you every day...I wa-wanted you all to know how you c-changed me....”  You couldn’t finish due to coughing up blood.

“Stop talking dumbass.  Focus on living.”  Bakugou’s watery eyes meet your dull ones.

You slowly reach into your pocket.  Grabbing the letter you wanted to give Bakugou before leaving.  You shakily pass it to him.  You take his hand again, and with your last breath, you spoke your last words.

“I love you, you changed me for the better.  Now go and become the best hero...”  

Bakugou’s tears flow out, as your eyes lose the last bit of light.  He screamed your name, as the medic team covered your body and took you away.  Kirishima and Deku grabbing Bakugou, stopping him from trying to hold you from everyone.

It’s been nearly a month since your death.  Bakugou looks at the letter, that is still covered in your blood, you left.  Never once opened it, until today.

Dear Katsuki,

If you are reading this, I have either left or died.  You probably already know the truth.  Let me start from the beginning.  I was originally born and raised to be a pawn for my father, the plan was for me to collect information and report it back.  I had nothing to live for, no meaning in my life.  My father took all hope and meaning in my life.  That was until I meet you.  You arrogant, mean, and loud idiot, gave me a reason to live my life.  Being at this school gave me a lot of first.  My first time having fun, having emotions, having memories, and having my first love.  

Now, I want to apologize.  Every day the guilt ate me, it killed me.  Every day I wanted to tell you everything, but the thought of you hating me was worse than death.  Maybe dying isn’t so bad?  I’m not good at expressing my emotions.  However my love for you, I could write you a book.  I won’t bore you with my word though.

Katsuki Bakugou, I love you so much.  I love to see you smile and be a softie when no one is around.  I love being the big spoon, even though you won’t admit that you love being the small spoon.  I love your ambition to be the best hero ever.  I love everything about you.  Even if you cannot forgive me, I want you to know that everything I felt for you was real.  My feeling for you was never fake, it was the most real thing I have ever felt.

I love you so much.

-Y/N

Bakugo finally lets the tears he has held in since your death.  He hugged the letter close to his heart.

“Dumbass, of course, I forgive you.  I love you too.  Watch me become the number one hero.”  He spoke to the framed picture of you two, that sat next to his bed.  He laughs, as his tears stain his face.

[porcelain-blue]

Summer Smiles

Lan Wangji thinks of his mother, and the easy lilting curl of her lips when she teases him, pinching his cheeks and settling him in her lap. 

He remembers being 6 years old and even then wondering why mother was never outdoors, when she stared out the window of her house into the far mountains with such wistfulness it ached in his little heart, too young to understand, just old enough for it to ache. 

He asked, once, what mother liked best.

“You, Zhan-er, and Huan-er,” she had said, easy as anything. He had shaken his head, stubborn.

“What else do you like?”

She had laughed, then, gathering her two sons close to lean against her robes as she carded her hands through their hair. 

“Well, my treasures, I like running.”

“But there’s no running in the Cloud Recesses, Mother.” Lan Huan had said, serious and confident as though it were an indomitable truth. 

A small smile, quiet and sad this time.

“So there isn’t, baobei. But outside the Cloud Recesses, there is an open sky, and big, wide fields without any mountains for days. In the summer, the grasses are long, and the paths are dusty. One day, you two will see the land like this, with nothing but a qiankun bag and swords beneath your little feet. And you will know freedom, and run as fast and as far as you want.” 

“Will you come with us, Mother?” Lan Wangji had asked. 

“Of course, baobei, of course I will.” 

When she had hugged them goodbye that night, Wangji did not understand why her grip had been so hard it hurt. 

---

When he had met Wei Ying, it was not the impudence, or the rule breaking, or even the feeling of finally being matched, blade for blade in the moonlight of the only home he has ever known that had incensed him so. It was the fact that he was smiling at him, teasing and sure and with the kind of respect and regard that Wei Wuxian had inherent in him for other people. Wangji had known, after months of knowing him, that Wei Wuxian was kind, strong, and righteous. But it angered him to be smiled at, when the only person who was ever allowed to laugh at him and tease and be kind to him was gone, only the ghost of a memory remaining. 

He hated how the memory of his mother’s smile was now tucked alongside myriad other ones of Wei Ying, laughing and crowing, eyes bright. He hated that by now, there were more memories of Wei Ying than he had of his mother. 

He hated that he wanted more, to hoard every smile for himself alone. The subsequent horror at the idea of being anything like his father had nearly broken him that night. 

-----

After Wei Ying had died, Wangji had gone to his brother and uncle, and told  them that he was leaving the Cloud Recesses. 

“I wish to stand on the side of justice. I wish to see the wide fields and know the world as I have never known it,” he had said, and thought of his mother and Wei Ying in the same breath, holding grief old and new in the space of his chest. 

He packed his scant supplies in a qiankun bag embroidered with gentians (bought, guiltily, in Caiyi when he was younger), secured Bichen on his back, and walked down the meandering mountain path, dressed in mourning white. 

He wandered south, and made good on his promise, saving people as he could, joining in on night-hunts when he ran into younger disciples. He never stayed long, never took payment or credit, and earned his title Hanguang-Jun, as though the brightness of his robes were for bringing light to the living instead of honoring his dead. 

When at last he reached the middle plains of the country, mountains only a faint smudge against the yellow summer sky, he took a breath, and lingered as long as he could. When he walked down the dusty paths he let his hands brush against the tall grasses swaying in the hot breeze. He did not mind when the dust stained the hem of his robes. When the path ended at a well, he took a drink, re-filled his water pouch, and continued walking. 

If Wei Ying were here, he would want to run in these wide fields.

He does not run, but he walks through golden grasses, and remembers the people he loved. 

--- 

After Guanyin temple, after everything, Wei Ying asks where they should go. 

“South,” he says, “I would like to see the fields with you.” 

Wei Ying had smiled, then, eyes curving into a little crinkle of delight as he slipped his hand into Lan Zhan’s.

“South it is, then.” 

He thinks of running through those grasses, Wei Ying’s laughter light on the wind, and smiles. He wonders if Wei Ying will marry him there, with nothing but the open sky above them, barely a mountain in sight. The farthest place from Gusu he has ever been. 

“Wei Ying. I have bowed to Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmian. Would you bow to my mother?” 

Wei Ying leans against him, warm from the heat of the summer sun. 

“En, of course I would. Do we have to go back to Gusu for that? I’ve never seen the Lan ancestral hall.”

Lan Wangji thinks about the cold stone of the ancestral hall, the black carved tablet with his mothers name and nothing else. He thinks of her smile and shakes his head.

“Here. Let’s do it here. Under the open sky. She would like that better, I think.” 

He sees Wei Ying’s flicker of understanding. 

They return to town to get supplies, at Wei Ying’s insistence. At dawn they make their way into the field, the first rays of the sun lighting everything yellow-gold. Wei Ying leads him by the hand to a tree where the grasses are a little shorter, and sets down a couple of offerings from his qiankun bag.

When Wei Ying sets down a handkerchief embroidered with gentian flowers, his heart aches full to bursting. Wei Ying pours tea and sets it in front of the offerings. 

They bow to the memory of his mother, and then to each other, surrounded by the rustling of tall grasses, and the wide open plains of the country. --- A/N: look i’ve been listening to the mdzs audio drama and I got to the part where zewu-jun is telling wwx about their mom being trapped and I thought about how both lan zhan’s mother and wwx both love to tease lwj and like.. OF COURSE he falls in love with him, the boy is basically programmed to equate smiling and teasing with the deepest, safest love he has ever known. No this is not a mommy issue situation, its a there’s-something-about-you-that-is-so-different-to-me-but-so-familiar-it-aches kind of situation. hnghh

[fuckallthegood0nesweretaken]

New World CH. Two

Title: Problems

Words: 2,572

Warnings: Strong language, mentions of rape and death (no actual rape or death)

A/N: Here’s chapter two! Hope you enjoy!

If you’d like to request something, send me an ask. I’d love to write for you! 

If you’d like to support me, I have a Ko-Fi!

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Walking Dead Masterlist

Masterlist

~~~~~~~

[Y/n]

When you woke up the next morning, Adeline had managed to starfish in her sleep and you laughed softly, brushing her hair out of her face. You heard a groan come from behind you and you whipped around to see a sleepy Sam sitting up.

 “Jesus, Sam, don’t scare me like that,” you said.

 “Sorry,” Sam said with a yawn. You just shook your head and looked around.

 “Where’s Dean?”

 “Probably outside getting food. You know how he is in the mornings.”

 “Good to know that hasn’t changed,” you said with a laugh. Sniffing the air, you smelled eggs and pancakes.

 “Seems you haven’t either,” Sam teased.

 “Oh hush.”

 “We still have your things from before we got separated. Dean brought them into the tent last night while you were sleeping.” Sam pointed to the corner of the tent and you saw a duffel and a backpack.

 “Thanks.”

 “Get dressed then come get breakfast. We still have people to introduce you to.”

 “Alright. I’ll be out in a minute.”

 Sam gave you a smile before leaving the tent. You quickly got dressed and when you were putting on your shoes, Adeline woke up.

 “Mommy!” She launched herself at you and you caught her with a grunt.

 “Hey, baby,” you cooed as you picked her up. Adeline buried her face in your neck and clung to you.

 “I missed you,” she said, sniffing lightly.

 “Oh, baby, I missed you too.” You pressed a kiss to her hair and set her down. Wiping away her tears, you looked her in the eyes. “Why don’t you get dressed and we can go get some breakfast, yeah?”

 “Okay.”

 You kissed her forehead and helped her pick out an outfit for the day. Once she was all ready to go, the two of you walked out of the tent and to the campfire where breakfast was being served.

 “You’re up, good!” Carol said. She came up to you with two plates full of food and handed one to you and the other to Adeline. “I was just about to see if you were awake or not.”

 “Thank you. I appreciate it,” you said to her with a smile. “Do you know where my brothers are?”

 “They’re over by the house, talking with Rick and Hershel.” She started walking away and you followed her to the fire.

 “Hershel?”

 “The owner of the farm.”

 “Ah, okay. Makes sense. What are they talking about? Or is it a need to know thing?” You asked.

 “Now that Sophia’s found, they’re trying to see if Hershel will let us stay on the farm.”

 “I hope they do. It seems like a relatively safe place,” you said. “A place where these kids can grow up.”

 “I agree. Now why don’t you two go sit down and enjoy the food. I’m sure that the others would love to get to know you better.”

 “Alright. Thank you.”

 “You’re welcome, sweetie.” Carol poked Ada’s nose, making her giggle and you smile, before she walked away.

 Stomach growling, you sat down and ripped into your food. Moaning quietly, you didn’t see Lori piling more food on your plate or your brothers coming out of the house. Nobody complained about you getting extra food and you jumped when you felt a hand on your head. Reaching for your knife, Lori stopped you before you could stab Dean.

 “Woah, easy sweetheart. It’s just me,” Dean said.

 “Sorry,” you said with a sheepish grin. “Morning.”

 “Morning,” he said to you. He gave you a kiss on the forehead before sitting next to you, placing Ada on his lap. “Sorry for scaring you.”

 “It’s okay. Guess I’ve just been a bit tense.”

 “How did you make it all alone?” Dale asked. “Don’t want to offend, but you’re a small little thing. All by yourself all that time?”

 “It helped that I already knew how to use a gun and how to fight hand to hand with and without a knife. I already knew how to make traps and hunt so if I was successful I had something to eat. Slept in trees if there wasn’t any shelter around. I’m also light on my feet and know how to get around without being spotted.” You shrugged and shoved more food in your mouth.

 “She took me down pretty easy,” Daryl said through a mouthful of food. “I didn’t even know she was there ‘til a knife was at my throat.”

 “Atta girl,” Dean said with a grin.

 “Thanks,” you said to Dean. To Daryl you said, “I am sorry about that. You snuck up on me and I panicked.”

 “Thought I was a geek?”

 “No,” you shook your head. “I knew you weren’t one of them.”

 “You were worried about people?” Rick asked.

 “Yeah. It was about a month ago I think. Time is a blur so I don’t remember exactly when I saw them, but there was a dad and his two daughters. Four men came along and did, uh, things to the girls. They were maybe fifteen or sixteen, just kids, and made their dad watch. Didn’t even kill him. Just left afterwards. Two of them didn’t do anything but one of them looked like he wanted to.” You swallowed harshly. “Heard your footsteps and thought you were part of their group.”

 “What made ya follow me?” Daryl said after a moment.

 “Your voice, the tone of it. Your actions too. They would’ve started sweet-talking me, trying to lull me into a false sense of security. You didn’t do that.” Looking at him with a small smile, you turned back to your food.

 “That’s awful,” Carol said quietly. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

 “Unfortunately, it’s not the worst I’ve seen. But thank you.”

 “You done with your food, [y/n]?” Lori asked you. You nodded and she took your plate.

 “I’m gonna introduce you to Hershel,” Rick said. “C’mon.”

 “Don’t leave mommy!” Adeline said as she tried to get out of Dean’s hold.

 “I’ll be right back, baby. Don’t you worry.” You brushed her hair back and Adeline nodded slowly.

 Sam took your plate from you and pushed you towards Rick lightly.

 “Hershel is a veterinarian. He’s been helping heal any wounded. He helped save Carl, my son, and T-Dog,” Rick said as he led you to the house.

 “What happened to Carl?”

 “He got shot,” Rick said. “One of his men was hunting a buck and didn’t see Carl approaching it. Bullet went clean through the deer and hit Carl. He almost died but Hershel saved him.”

 “Any lasting consequences?”

 “Not so far. We’re still making him take it slow, but he should be alright.”

 “Good.” You let out a sigh and Rick opened the door to the house.

 “After you.”

 ---

 “Hershel, this is Sam and Dean’s sister, [y/n]. Daryl found her and Sophia in the woods while searching for Sophia yesterday.”

 “It’s nice to meet you, [y/n].”

 “Nice to meet you too. I heard about what you did to save that little boy’s life. And I am really grateful you’re giving my daughter a safe place to stay.”

 “It was the right thing to do,” Hershel said. You shook your head.

 “The worlds gone to shit, excuse my language. It might have been the right thing to do, but most men wouldn’t have done it. Whatever you need, just ask.”

 “I appreciate it. Have you met my daughters yet?” You shook your head and he introduced you to Maggie and Beth.

 “Patricia and Jimmy are doing some chores around the farm, but I’ll make sure to introduce you to them before dinner. For now, you can use the shower if you’d like. We have hot water, but go easy on it. Maggie, could you show her to the bathroom?”

 “Yes. Follow me.”

 You followed Maggie up the stairs as she led you to a bathroom.

 “Feel free to use whatever shampoo and soap you’d like. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

 “Thank you, Maggie,” you said. “I do really appreciate you letting me use your hot water.”

 “It’s no problem. I’ll leave you to yourself.”

 “Alright.”

 She left, closing the door and you started stripping with a sigh. Turning on the water, you didn’t have to wait long until it was hot. When you stepped under the water, you let out a groan of satisfaction and started washing yourself. It felt good to massage and clean your hair, not having shampooed since the world went to shit. You went as fast as you could, not wanting to use all of their hot water accidentally.

 Stepping out when you were squeaky clean, you toweled off and redressed before walking out of the bathroom. It felt weird being in a house that wasn’t run down and even though you knew it was safe enough, you still wanted to get back outside.

 “That was a quick shower,” Maggie said when you got to the living room.

 “Didn’t want to use all the hot water. I’m known for long showers,” you said with a laugh.

 “Me too. Wish I had the resources to do it again, but we gotta live with what we got. Your brothers are outside and so is Adeline,” Maggie said.

 “Thanks.” Before you left, you turned to her. “I hope we can get to know each other better. You seem like a good person.”

 “I was thinking the same thing. After you get settled, we can talk?”

 “I’d like that.” You both smiled at each other and you walked outside. When you got to the camp, everyone was tense and you could tell that something was wrong.

 “What happened?” You asked, picking Adeline up.

 “Glenn just told us that the barn is full of walkers,” Carol said.

 “It’s what?”

 You walked with everyone to the barn and looked inside with Shane after handing Adeline over to Sam.

 “What the fuck?” You said to yourself. Walking backwards with a shake of your head, you looked at Rick.

 “You can’t tell me you’re alright with this,” Shane said to Rick. “You have Lori and Carl to think about here. There’s the girls too.”

 “I’m not okay with it. But we’re guests. This isn’t our land!”

 “But it’s our lives man!”

 “Be quiet,” Glenn said, glancing worriedly at the barn.

 “We can’t just go about our day and forget about this,” Andrea said.

 “I agree. It’s too dangerous. Something could happen and it isn’t right,” you said to Rick. “I know this isn’t our land but we can’t just let this go.”

 “We gotta go in there. We’ve got to make things right or we need to leave. We can go to Fort Benning.”

 “We can’t leave, Shane!” Rick said.

 “Why?”

 “Because this is a place where these kids can grow up,” Carol said. “[Y/n] agrees with me too.”

 Shane looked exasperated and shook his head.

 “A place where the owner keeps walkers in his barn?”

 “Look, we need to figure this out, but arguing amongst ourselves isn’t going to do any fucking good!” You said angrily. “This needs to be a calm conversation. No accusing, no yelling.”

 “You just agreed with me and now you’re taking his side?” Shane said to you. “If you’re gonna do that, you should just stay quiet. Don’t need the opinion of someone who just got here.”

 “I’m taking no one’s side right now. Yes, we need to deal with the walkers, but we also can’t just up and leave a safe place without talking about it rationally! And it doesn’t matter if I just got here or not, I’m here now so keep that in mind.”

 “Just let me and Rick talk to Hershel,” Sam said. “Let us figure it out.”

 “What are you gonna figure out?!” Shane yelled at Sam. You flinched at his booming voice but steeled yourself and shoved a finger into his chest, anger in your eyes.

 “Don’t you dare yell at my brother like that,” you said coldly. “I don’t care if you’re angry, you don’t get to do that.”

 Shane looked at you and he huffed angrily before rolling his eyes and looking away. Adeline was starting to get a little anxious and reached for you. Taking her in your arms, you tried calming her down.

 “This is his land. If we clear out the barn I’m going to need to talk to him.”

 “Hershel sees those things as people,” Dale said. “Sick people. His wife, stepson. People he cared about.”

 “You knew?” Rick asked him.

 “I talked to Hershel yesterday.”

 “And you waited the night?” Shane accused.

 “I thought we could survive one more night. And we did! I was waiting to say something this morning, but Glenn wanted to be the one to tell.”

 “If Hershel thinks those things are alive, he’s crazy, Rick!” Shane yelled.

 At that moment, the walkers started banging on the barn doors, trying to get out. You took a step back and Sam pulled you slightly behind him as you all looked warily at the barn.

 “We need to take this conversation somewhere else,” you said. “If we keep arguing here, they’re going to get out and cause trouble.”

 “She’s right,” Daryl said. “’Sgo back ta camp.”

 Shane stormed off and the rest of the group followed close behind. You stayed at the back of the group with your brothers. Sam was silent for a minute but kept opening his mouth to say something.

 “You don’t have to defend me against Shane,” he said.

 “If he talks to you like that then I will. You’re right, we need to talk to Hershel about it. But he also has a point, Sam. We can’t just let this go.”

 “I know. When did you get so grown up?”

 “I’ve always been more grown up than you, Sammy,” you said with a laugh. You walked past them and towards camp. Sitting down, you started comforting an anxious Adeline, and Carol came up to you.

 “Thank you for defending me,” she said. “You don’t even know us that well but you still did.”

 “Even though I’ve never met y’all, you took care of my daughter and brothers. I’ve been on my own out there and it’s hell. A safe place is what we need right now and I’ll keep defending you even if that asshole thinks I shouldn’t.”

Carol laughed softly and pulled you close. “Thank you,” she whispered. After a second, she let go and went to the stables.

 Looking around, you scanned the horizons, looking for any threats. The barn full of walkers made you super uneasy and on edge. Your hand never left your knife and you tensed when you heard someone walking up to you. Turning, you saw Dean and you relaxed a bit.

 “Hey,” you said with a smile.

 “How are you feeling?”

 “Uneasy,” you said honestly.

 “Me too, sweetheart. Me too.”

 “Has it always been like that?” You asked Dean. “The two of them yelling at each other?”

 “A little bit, yeah. But it has gotten worse.”

 After a minute of silence, you looked at your brother. “Do they know about what we did before the world ended?”

 “They do. The only ones that don’t are Hershel and his family. He’s a bit religious and doesn’t have the same view on walkers as we do, so we thought it might be best not to let them know just yet.”

 “I think that’s a good idea.”

[angelicamerlinbarnes]

TUA SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN AU

(please understand that by AU, I mean they share an incredibly small amount of things in common with the original source material which I barely remember BUT the "story" takes place in the setting of the film) (not to be misleading or anything :p)

(Huntsman) Diego has been roaming the dark woods for years, on the run from the two queens. He loves his mother Grace, but she died with Ben - and the person in her body now just isn’t very nice. He’s angry, and bitter, and full of heartache and pain… losing your family will do that to you. But he’s still looking for Five. His beloved husband may be dead, but there’s still hope for their son. Right?

(Gold Queen) The Handler is the gold queen. She believes love is a weakness, and how could she not - her sister Grace ruined herself with love for her children. Then again, she supposes it’s a bit her fault that Grace went mad - the Handler was, after all, the one who killed the child that left Grace a cold, icy bitch.

(Ice Queen) Grace does not believe in love. Any child of hers foolish enough to fall in love will be taught the same lesson she suffered to learn - love is synonymous with death.

Five can’t remember the names of all the people he’s killed. The Handler took him from his mother when he was just a baby - he has no knowledge whatsoever of who she is. The Handler forces him to kill people in her courtyard arena, claiming him as her champion, and he knows he’ll die if he lets her down. She promised to bring him back to his family if he just stays a good little boy and does what he’s told - Five thinks she’s probably lying though. He had a friend here once, Dolores, and the Handler agreed not to make him fight her… and then turned her into a gold statue in the middle of the courtyard, where Five has to see her and be reminded of his failure to keep her safe every single day.

Klaus has been stuck down here for who knows how long. It’s damp and dark and cold and there are bars on the window. Grace dragged him here what must’ve been years ago, probably because she found out about him and Diego - not that it matters. Grace banished Diego, and Five was taken from him long ago. Diego’s probably dead, Klaus knows how it is out there, and his son is also probably dead. There’s only so long for Klaus anyway - he’s been seeing his dead brother Ben lately, and even Klaus is smart enough to know that’s probably not a good sign.

Ben died at the hands of the Handler when he was only fourteen. His death cause Grace to go full psycho, and Ben… exists with that guilt every day as he looks after Klaus, who is slowly going mad. Ben needs to get him out of here, but first he needs to find Diego… and Diego has always made a point of being very, very hard to find.

Allison was one of few children who managed to escape both the queens when the war began. She found a home with a man called Reginald and thought she was saved… but he was just another asshole. He treats her and the other refugees like slaves, knowing they’ll never leave out of fear of the queens’ killing arenas. Ray and Luther are her fellow inmates - and they all want out.

Vanya is a witch, trapped in a cave by the Handler after being stolen from her mother Grace. A selkie named Sissy came to help her settle in her first day, and now collects ingredients for Vanya’s experimental break-out spells. They fell in love, and have a son named Harlan together from Vanya’s magic, but it’s unlikely they’ll ever be allowed to touch, a constant blue shield between them.

Cha-Cha and Hazel are the Handler’s personal generals, and when they learn that Klaus is alive, they take him on orders from the Handler, who knows he’ll be good bait now that Diego is the symbol of the revolution. Agnes is the village healer they force to heal Klaus after they’re done torturing him for information, which he never gives. She detests both of them, and eventually uses her magic to knock them out and set Klaus free.

Eudora is leading a rebellion against the two queens in secret. She has no idea about Reginald, or else she’d go after him too. When Allison kills Reginald, she brings herself, Luther, Ray, and all the other captive young adults to Eudora’s safe haven, where she trains them into soldiers for the upcoming fight. If they don’t want to be soldiers, they train to be healers under Agnes, who tells Eudora of the dead prince being locked in the Handler’s dungeon and tortured, having apparently been imprisoned. Look, Eudora’s not a bad person, she’s just a strategist - and it’s better to have Klaus in captivity long enough for her to get Diego on her side, using his husband’s rescue as leverage.

Lila is the Handler’s personal guard. The Handler believes she has Lila’s complete loyalty, but Lila’s been slipping information to Eudora for years - Eudora, who she’s in love with. Eudora, who kisses like the sky does the ground. Eudora, who will leave Lila to die once she’s no longer of use. Or so she thinks.

The Handler wiped Five’s memory when she took him at five years old, so he doesn’t remember his family at all. She’s hoping nobody comes along and breaks his programming. She’s spent so long on it. It’d be such a shame.

Across the land, Allison serves Reginald dinner. She refills his drink, picks his knife up from the ground, and stabs him through the heart. Then she and Ray and Luther and the others fucking book it.

Diego wanders the woods alone, intercepted only by Eudora, who he locks in awesome battle with before realizing who she is. They smile at each other and she asks him yet again to join her movement, which he refuses. She smiles ruefully and disappears.

Allison and Ray and Luther join Eudora’s cause with the others, Luther quickly becoming their best soldier, Ray their most gifted healer, and Allison equal to Eudora in both physical and mental prowess. Eudora is hunting in the woods one day and runs into Lila, the two of them having a love-at-first-sight moment. Lila hears her name called and runs away, but they remain drawn to each other, even if Eudora can’t shake the mark of gold on Lila’s wrist from her mind.

The Handler starts making threats at Vanya, mostly about Sissy and Harlan. Klaus has forgotten what the sun looks like, but is given a refresher on the moon when Cha-Cha and Hazel break into his cell and steal him in the middle of the night. Ben holds him the whole time, but he’s so scared. So so scared.

Eudora and Lila keep meeting in the woods, mostly by accident. Lila starts telling her things, important things, and one day lets slip that the dead prince Klaus is alive and imprisoned in the Handler’s dungeons, to which he was brought from Grace’s dungeons. Eudora listens, enraptured, and nearly kisses Lila goodbye before remembering herself. This is how she wins Diego.

Diego finds out Klaus is alive from Eudora and is angry at her for using Klaus’ life as leverage, deciding to go see for himself. He overhears some guards talking about it, and is running down to the dungeons when he slams right into someone. They pull back, curse words on Diego’s lips, and Diego is met with Klaus’ wide green eyes, looking at him with some sort of euphoric wonder.

Overjoyed, Diego clasps Klaus’ face in his hands and kisses him. Klaus laughs, loud and bright, and slings his still shackled hands up to loop his arms around Diego’s neck, kissing him again and again and again. Their reunion is interrupted by a loud clang, upon which they realize they’re still in the Handler’s castle. Diego wraps his arm around Klaus’ waist and they run together, but skid to a stop in the shadows in the Great Hall, freezing as they stare across the room at Five, whose memories are slamming back into him as he lays eyes on his parents for the first time in eight years.

Klaus makes for him, Diego not far behind, but just as Five takes a step forward, finally broken from his shock, the sound of the Handler’s stilettos clicking down the hall come from behind. Their eyes meet again, Klaus’ widening as he realizes what Five’s about to do, but Five just shakes his head, mouthing, I love you. He then reaches out with his hand and sweeps them out the door with a snap of his fingers, locking himself inside with the Handler once and for all.

Devastated at the loss of their son, again, Klaus and Diego wander through the night, only settling down once to sleep, Klaus’ head on Diego’s chest. They whisper about their son and each other until dawn, finally rising to continue their journey. Diego manages to use a stick to pick the lock on Klaus’ chains, and they head for Eudora’s camp, Diego finally agreeing to join now that he knows his son is trapped in the Handler’s hold.

With Diego in the fold, Eudora’s army is combat-ready in no time. Eudora makes her way to the woods, waiting for Lila, who has finally agreed to leave the Handler and join Eudora’s cause. But instead of Lila, the Handler comes, having found out about Lila’s little excursions and deciding it was time to put a stop to it. She captures Eudora, taking her back to the dungeon, and starts making the moves to enact her big plan.

Lila finds Eudora’s bow on the ground in the woods and rushes towards her camp to tell Diego the news.

The Handler goes to retrieve Vanya from her cave, ready to use her secret weapon. Sissy screams, trying to stop her, but the Handler shoves her back, Sissy knocking her head on a rock and going limp. Vanya, seeing this and Harlan hiding behind a tree, screams, all of her power letting loose at once and shattering the cave and the curse that traps her in it. The rubble nearly crushes the Handler, but she saves herself with a shield, though not before Vanya is able to escape with Sissy and Harlan, disappearing into the woods.

She makes her home at Eudora’s camp, where Lila now helps lead troops with Diego, scared for Eudora’s life. Klaus helps the healers, and brings them undead soldiers to improve their numbers, desperate to bring his son home. Allison and Ray have an unstoppable magic act, and Luther has his own legion of soldiers to lead. They finally feel they’re ready, marching towards their positions to surround the Handler’s castle, when winter suddenly falls over the land and Grace emerges from the trees, calm and as cold as ever.

Agnes is behind her, trembling. Klaus gently guides her to their side, remembering how she helped him escape. Diego stares down Grace, saddened beyond belief at who their mother has turned out to be. Grace tells Diego she’s disappointed in him - he was her greatest prodigy, the only one she truly believed was strong enough to be a good soldier, the only one who had given up love - an ice blast gathering in her hand, ready for Diego’s heart. And then suddenly, Ben is in front of her, his eyes full of sorrow as he whispers her name - Hey Momma.

Grace’s blast desintigrates in her hand. She stares at the ghost of her long-dead son, tearing up, and falls to her knees as winter extinguinshes into dust around her. She sobs into her hands, apologizing over and over for all she’s done to them, and is shocked when Diego touches her shoulder gently, gazing at her with soulful eyes. Help us win this war, Momma, he says softly. Help us, and all is forgiven. She swallows, and nods, and takes his hand, walking with them into battle.

They march to the castle. Lila saves Eudora from the dungeons, who kisses her through the bars - I knew you’d come for me. Diego is leading one legion up against the back while Allison, Ray, and Luther lead legions in on all other sides. Vanya’s working on breaking down the magical shields the Handler’s put up. The Handler emerges, and the battle is in full swing.

Agnes is knocking out bitches left and right with her wooden cane, and Hazel is punching the lights out of anyone who gets too close. Cha-Cha closes in on Five, who’s caught up in defending Dolores, and strikes him with a spell that’s blocked by Klaus. Klaus, with fire in his eyes, steps in front of a wide-eyed Five with glowing hands and a morbid grin. Not my son, you bitch, he hisses, and proceeds to beat the shit out of Cha-Cha while Five grins and whoops before running off to help Diego.

Eventually it comes down to the Handler in the throne room. Her legions falling, she prepares to oblierate everyone with her powers, but Grace enters the room, ready to stop her. They engage in an epic battle of gold and ice, in which Grace is fatally wounded by the Handler. She uses the last of her power and strength to impale the Handler on an icicle, watching with a smile as Diego brings a battleaxe down on the Handler’s neck, Grace’s eyes fluttering closed.

The kingdoms are reunited under Allison’s common rule. She rules alone, though married to both Ray and Luther, and her siblings make their homes in her court. A statue of Grace spins in the courtyard on the other side of Dolores and Ben, all surrounded by flowers. Eudora and Lila remain unmarried, but travel the world together. Ben still talks with Klaus, who helps organize all the parties at the palace. Diego is the captain of the guard and Five enjoys childhood, though he is also regarded as a fierce warrior in his own right. Vanya and Sissy settle down in the woods with Harlan and Agnes and Hazel stay down in the villages on a farm (they have a lot of cows). They’re all very happy, and very safe. Well, until Leonard the king of tar shows up. But that’s a story for another day.

Oh, and there are dragons. Because reasons.

[wondersofdreaming]

Lost Boys - ONE

Characters: August Walker / Captain Syverson / Walter Marshall

Word count: 1.727

Warnings: Cursing. Blood. Bruising. Killing. Murder. Narcissism. Selfishness. Aftercare.

Author’s note: You can all thank @littlefreya for inspiring me to write this. No love interest for now. Let’s see how this goes. This might be my very short-lived introduction to writing in the suspense/thriller genre.

Everything in this story is a figment of my imagination, with inspiration and snippets from the movies ‘Mission: Impossible - Fallout’, ‘Sand Castle’, ‘Nomis/Night Hunter’. This is pure fanfiction. If something doesn’t make sense, it’s not supposed to.

I do now own any of the characters from the movies that I write about in this story. Only the OFC’s are mine.

Tag: @littlefreya @katerka88 

MASTERLIST

Feedback is appreciated. Seriously, please tell me all the good and bad stuff, else I won’t be able to develop into a better writer, if I don’t know what I’m doing right and wrong. I swear I don’t bite.

[TWO] [THREE] [FOUR] [FIVE] [SIX] [SEVEN] [EIGHT] [NINE] [TEN]

He barely moved his head in time before the hook would have smacked him right in the face. He was still falling. The air whizzed around him. He could feel the ground coming closer. He needed to do something fast before he was a splat of human remains. He turned around, so he could see where he was headed - directly into a river, perfect. The icy water enveloped him. He felt the bottom beneath his feet and used it to pummel up to the surface. He heaved in the air. The right side of his face was burning and stinging, the cold river was helping soothe the irritated skin.

The river was picking up speed as he floated down the stream. He needed to swim towards the shore. A fallen tree came towards him. Not being able to avoid it, he dove down, when he came back up he didn’t notice another tree, which hit him on the back of his head, making him woozy, almost to the point of blacking out. Then he was falling again. The impact with the surface made him lose consciousness. The last thing he remembered was a pair of soft hands stroking his left cheek, telling him something in a language he didn’t understand.

He awoke to people talking all around him. Something was plastered to his burnt side; it was smelling terrible. He tried opening his eyes, but they were so heavy, so he went back to sleep. Hoping the people around him weren’t there to kill him.

A few hours later he could open his eyes without it hurting. The room was dark. There were only a few candles lit, not enough for him to see the entire room, but he could see the outline of a person, sitting in a chair next to the door. The person stirred awake when hearing the rustling of sheets from him. A woman came up to his side, his rescuer, as he remembered the soft hand from the riverbank.

She tried saying something, but he shook his head, not understanding a word she was saying. Her long black hair swung as she tried explaining with her hands, arms and body, how she had found him almost drowned, then having brought him to her village and nursed him back to health. He had been out for three days and nights.

He tried sitting up. His ribcage hurt like hell, he had definitely broken a few ribs from the impact with the water, falling down a 30-metre waterfall did that to your body. Breathing was difficult, but he had to get out of there. The woman, petite as she was, was strong enough to push him down flat on the bed. He wasn’t fighting back much due to the pain.

“You, sleep.” She said in broken English, which made him smile. He waited until he could hear her soft snores from the chair, before getting up again. He was naked beneath the blanket. Looking around he found his blood-stained clothes. He groaned, throwing them away. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw a neatly stacked set of male clothing on top of a dresser. The shirt hung loosely on him, the trousers fit but were a bit tight on the thigh and crotch area. He just needed to control himself, or he would split them. A pair of black shoes sat beneath the dresser. He watched the woman sleeping soundly before he moved her towards the bed and tucked her in, as a thank you for taking care of him. He wasn’t as cold-hearted as everyone thought he was, or maybe he was, who knew. Sometimes he surprised himself by caring about other people. He was usually a selfish and narcissistic bastard.

The wooden door creaked at the hinges, but the woman was still fast asleep. He walked into the living and kitchen space of the house, over to a window overlooking the rest of the village. A few men were walking around talking loudly. He moved towards the bathroom, where he took a good look at himself. He washed off the muddy and awfully stinking stuff from his face. He was surprised to see that the burned flesh was healing nicely without scarring. His moustache was at least intact, the hair on his cheeks and jawline were growing, so it would soon become a beard if he didn’t get it trimmed. He lifted the shirt and winced at the movement, but he had to see the damage that had been done to his body. He was black and blue, even some shades of purple all over his chest, back and sides. He groaned as he touched the sore spots, moving his torso around to feel if he’d broken any bones. Not yet at least.  He listed quietly out the front door, keeping in the shadows as he moved towards a horse that was tied to a tree.

“Don’t make a sound or you’ll be dinner,” he whispered to the stallion, who looked bored at him. He unknotted the reins and pulled the black horse with him to the edge of the village before he mounted on its massive back. The night was dark, but he had learned how to navigate through the stars, thanks to his astronomy-loving adoptive mother.

He didn’t know how long he rode, the sun slowly creeping its rays in the desert. A few more hours and he would be trapped in a sauna with no food or water. He needed a town fast.

An hour later he spotted some buildings. Thanking his lucky stars, he rode into the market that was slowly coming to life. A few looked nervously at him, while some gave him lusty looks. They weren’t used to foreigners there. He tied the horse to a post and walked towards the only young man at the market.

“You speak English?” He asked.

“Only a little, sir,” the young man answered.

“Good enough. How much is the horse worth to you?”

The young man called an older man with a hunched bag to him. They talked and examined the black stallion.

“It is worth too much,” the young man stated.

“You can have it for food, water, a car and some gas.”

“Are you sure, mister? That horse is a racing horse, you could buy many many houses in the big city.”

“I need food and water for at least one week. What kind of cars do you have here?”

The young man sighed and called a few women to gather all the necessities that he demanded. He was provided with a jeep, which had seen better days, but he was assured it was the best car there was in the village. Four women came bearing baskets on top of their heads filled with food and drinks. He definitely wouldn’t starve.

“Which way to Pakistan?” He asked. The young man pointed north-west. Then he was gone without looking back at the confused looks from the villagers. He grabbed an orange and peeled it while controlling the wheel with his knees. He almost groaned as the sweet juices filled his mouth.

He drove for two days straight, not bothering to stop for sleep. He was trained to stay awake for more than four days before fatigue would hit him. He preserved his energy by not thinking, just letting his mind go blank and concentrate on the sandy road ahead of him. He crossed the border to Pakistan by breaking the necks of the border control there. They didn’t know what hit them before they all laid dead on the sand. He had gathered their ammunition and moved his supplies into their newer military jeep. He set the old jeep on fire so as to leave no trace behind. Then he was on his way to Iran, where he did the same to the border control there - he shot them all, took their supplies and continued his journey. Leaving everything burning to the ground.

He had to cross Iraq to get into Jordan, and from there to Israel, where he had an acquaintance that could help him get into Europe, so he could hide in plain sight, planning his next move. Everyone must be thinking that he had died while fighting Ethan Hunt. He smiled to himself, hoping to meet that little bastard again and wringing his neck, or maybe torture him for a few days. He loved playing with his victims to get the information he needed out of them. He loved the cat and mouse game, but the torture game was his favourite.

Another town came into view. It was midday, the market would be bustling with people, no one would notice him if he was stealthy enough. He was towering over the men and women there, but no one gave him a second glance, having gotten used to having American military walking around them all the time. He followed some soldiers to their base, needing to steal more ammo, having used everything, when he crossed the border to Iraq. He might have gone a bit overboard with the shooting, but there were more people there than at the other border control stations, he had no choice. He had never felt so alive to be shooting mercilessly, without having to care about the clean-up, because nobody would suspect him, not until he showed the world that he was back with a vengeance. Until then, he would do whatever the fuck he wanted.

He snuck inside a building behind a few soldiers. They went to another room to clean their rifles. He listed closer, staying near the wall and in the shadows. He was about to pounce on the two unsuspecting soldiers when a large hand landed on his right shoulder. He let out an irritated groan.

“Hands where I can see them,” a deep gruff voice boomed behind him. He slowly raised his arms, almost wincing from his broken ribs. “Turn around, slowly.”

He moved 180 degrees, looking down. The soldier before him wore heavy army boots, camouflage cargo-trousers, a Black Sabbath t-shirt in black, then his beard came into view and the rest of his face. His eyes widened as he was looking into a mirror image of himself.

“Who the fuck are you?” The bearded soldier threatened, before tackling him to the ground.

[emeraldoodles]

Long Grindeldore Fics

Here’s a list of Grindeldore Fics that are longer. I tried to pick only fics over 10k or are going to be over 10k in the future.

Zwischen Immer und Nie (Between Always and Never) by sudowoodo

Words: 38563

Albus smiled and tossed the manuscript back on the table. "It's the rest I don't agree with. I simply cannot get behind that American rule."

Gellert laughed loudly. "You wish to marry a Muggle, Albus? There is something you're not telling me, yes?"

Albus tipped his head sideways, growing weary of his friend always missing the point. "Oh, I don't know. I feel some sympathy with those who are not allowed to love freely." Gellert's gaze became fixed on the floor before his eyes roamed up to take in Albus' face. Albus placed his hands on his stomach and sighed gently. "I can only imagine what it's like not having the freedom to walk hand in hand with my love, or marry them, or kiss them in the street."

There was a long pause. Then, seriously, "What are you talking about, Albus?"

"I think you know."

-A summer of 1899. Has  a Victorian feel with themes of homophobia. There’s a cry scene that got to me. I like how Ariana and Alberforth are written.-

Hold on by OUATgirl

Words: 26,631

After their famous duel in 1945, Albus Dumbledore decides to give his old friend another chance. Instead of being held in Nurmengard, Gellert Grindelwald will serve his time under the watchful eyes of the new hero of the wizarding world. But Albus cannot plan everything, and things might be more difficult than he anticipated

-I like how Dumbledore was written. Very cute and slow. Writer is currently working on a sequel-

same apartment, roommate's gone by Anonymous

Words: 10,176

After nearly five decades of imprisonment, Gellert Grindelwald was ready to break free.

-Very funny, but it is serious too. Gellert takes over the mind of Lockhart because there ain’t nothing there.-

Defence Professor Wohl by DarthKrande, NeverBeyondRedemption

Words: 54,421

Gilderoy Lockhart landed himself in St Mungo's after his 'Cornish Pixies' class. Where can a headmaster now find another Defence teacher, one who's knowledgeable beyond doubt, willing to face the curse on the position, and available to start in a few days? In Nurmengard, that's where.

-I really like the beginning of this fic, the ending dragged after chapter 18, but that’s probably because the later chapters focus on Harry.-

rummaging for answers in the pages by kittysorceress

Words: 37,620

It is the summer of 1899 and Albus Dumbledore is ready to venture into the great wizarding unknown. Instead, he finds himself at a dead end, keeping house for his siblings in Godric's Hollow. Bored. Lonely. Wasted.

That is, until he meets his equal.

-A collection of Albus's journal entries from the summer of 1899, detailing his adventures and the innermost workings of his mind, from the mundane to the sublime.-

So Many Chances Unseen by The_Marron

Words : 32,043

Dumbledore wants to die, Severus Snape doesn't want him to, and there is also an ex-Dark Lord trying to get his ex back. Maybe.

-This is broken up into 5 parts that total the word count. Is completed. Albus is an ass and I loved it! Slow burn with old men. Loved the ending! Wish this is how the books ended.-

Thirty-Five Owls by Letterblade

Words:11,284

Being a correspondence between Albus P.W.B. Dumbledore, Grand Sorcerer, Supreme Mugwump, etc., and the prisoner Gellert Grindelwald, of some decades in length.

-Gellert and Ablus are penpals? Kinda. It’s sweet, it’s angry and it’s sad. It’s Grindeldore in a nutshell.-

Extreme Incantations by meanwhiletimely

Words: 10,043

Gellert makes a discovery in Albus's bookshelves that results in a revelation.

-Very much smut, but with a plot… no maybe just a point? Dark magic sex during 1899. Bottom Gellert.-

My hands in yours by FrozenBrownie

Words: 21,452

A student of Hogwarts, died in Albus Dumbledore’s arms. What impact this unnecessary death of a child (again) would have on him, on England, on Hogwarts, neither the watching centaurs nor that desperate wizard with his wrists in unconnected metal chains could have foreseen. There was a man, of course, who did, roused in his sleep from the agitation of his husband over a thousand miles away. And thus, a story different from the one that could have come to pass began.

-Albus is shackled and leaves his life to find Gellert.I’m a sucker for fics about magic restriction shackles. Several parts.-

Happily Ever After, Being an Account of a Victorian Fairy Tale in Five Parts by azurish

Words: 10,281

When you’re hunting down the stuff of fairy tales, you shouldn’t be surprised when your own life turns into a fairy tale. In a universe in which Ariana wasn’t killed, Albus and Gellert attempt to track down the Hallows. Gellert knows that Albus is in love with him, and it’s convenient to indulge him – but that’s all there is to it. Right?

-Albus and Gellert go on their journey for the Hallows and have been traveling for a while together. Gellet is a piece of shit and Albus is dumb (stop just putting on unknown jewelry!)-

His Majesty's dragon by FrozenBrownie

Words: 18,369

Used in Open Combat – Dragon Corps in short. Albus’ magical power, ability and control apparently were up to the required standard to be considered for the training program for Aviators. Of course he had had no intention to go into the military whatsoever, but then, Gellert Grindelwald had stumbled into his life. Oh, how they had loved one another, fiercely, fiery, distructive -

-Dragon riders and set in 1759. Is a series. Writer working on 2nd part.-

Let Perpetual Light by tehtarik

Words: 65,726

In the village of Godric's Hollow, the Dumbledore family is falling apart. Kendra Dumbledore is dead under mysterious circumstances, and Albus is the unwilling guardian to his wayward brother Aberforth, and Ariana, their mad sister in the attic. But everything changes with the arrival of Gellert Grindelwald, violently charming juvenile delinquent with an obsession for the fabled Deathly Hallows.

-Ariana is a main character. Summer of 1899.-

Nurmengard by red_camellia

Words: 12,002

After Grindelwald's defeat in 1945 he is put in Nurmengard, unable to move on and haunted by memories of their past Dumbledore begins visiting Grindelwald. "But whenever Dumbledore was there, it was like looking into the Mirror. They both looked at each other and yet, did not see each other."

-A melancholy fic. Albus keeps visiting Nurmengard years after the battle of 1945.-

Shadows Die Twice by Phytine (Taouret)

Words: 68,922

Albus Dumbledore, after having been expelled from Hogwarts, has no choice but to go to Durmstrang in order to finish his education. There, he meets a very charming boy, Gellert Grindelwald and, despite the warnings, decides to befriend him.

What Albus doesn’t know is that Durmstrang is the Devil’s territory. Before he can understand what is happening, he gets caught in a dangerous web. The unconscious prey has fallen.

But there is one thing that Grindelwald hasn’t taken into account: Dumbledore is no man to be taken down easily and, the monster is never far away in a wounded heart.

-Do you want a really fuck up Albus and just as equally fucked up Gellert? This is your fic. Warning, includes rape, abusive relationship, blood fetish, chocking. Not completed.-

Phoenix Tears by PrincessElectra

Words: 46,739

The summer of 1899 ends with less destruction and heartbreak, but love is not a victory march and the darkness is still a seductive temptress. Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald.

“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves. I refuse to accept that there is any future where the world is better place with us apart.”

-Gellert decides to stay with Albus but he can’t quite give up on his old goals Lots of fluff.-

liminality by verivala

Words: 7,981

Instead of killing Albus, Gellert imprisons him. Neither of them have a good time.

Grindelwald Wins AU

-Still being written. Gellert is trying to cage Albus and Albus is trying to escape, if only mentally. It does have darker themes like mind control, magic restrict, twisted love.-

The Trial of Albus Dumbledore by Aurora_xx

Words: 51,613

Albus Dumbledore has to attend a disciplinary hearing for withholding invaluable information about Gellert Grindelwald, deliberate misdirection and performing a blood pact with the person who currently represents the biggest threat to the wizard community.

Unknowingly, he takes Veritaserum before.

-Albus is held trial and forced to speak the whole truth.-

The Glass House by Skurf, TheMoonGuardian (moonchampion)

Words: 24,327

Brightest student of Hogwarts's 1899 graduating class, Albus Dumbledore was about to set off to travel the world. He was going to revolutionize the Wizarding World. Then Ariana Dumbledore killed her mother in a fit of uncontrollable magic, and he was sent back home to be her caretaker.

He was 18, resentful, and utterly miserable. Until Bathilda Bagshot introduced him to her alluring nephew, Gellert Grindelwald.

(The one where Ariana doesn't die, and the boys take her along on their quest to find the Elder Wand.)

-I almost feel bad putting this on the list, because it looks to forever be incomplete. But the bantering between Albus and Gellert is just too enjoyable not to include.-

Never Too Careful by DrSalazar2U

Words: 29,694

"So that, when my mother died, and I was left the responsibility of a damaged sister and a wayward brother, I returned to my village in anger and bitterness. Trapped and wasted, I thought! And then, of course,

he came..." 

Gellert presents a life changing opportunity, but Albus quickly learns that when it comes to eternal glory, one can never be too careful.

-Lot of smut, but there is still a plot. But lots of summer sex. I like how Ariana and Abeforth are written.-

[readyourimgaines]

Fight With Yourself and Your Thoughts in the Night

Request: “My thought was he’d turn into an actual white wolf and is knocked out by the spell. When he wakes up, he’s been locked into a small cage along with Jaskier. The bad guys think that Geralt will end up killing Jaskier, but instead Wolf!Geralt treats him like a pack member, or basically like he always does. Eventually, they escape and either wears off or they go to Yennefer to have her remove it.” 

When Jaskier came to, the first thing he noticed was that something soft and warm was pressed against his side. The second thing he noticed was that wherever he was was much too small for him and the soft creature beside him. 

The creature whimpered and Jaskier jumped, hitting his head off of what could only be a cage. He pressed slowly raised his hand to see how high this cage was. He wouldn’t be able to sit up from his crouched position on his knees and elbows. Accepting he was trapped in his cage with the creature, he finally looked over and his eyes landed on a snow-white wolf. 

The bard’s heart went cold for a few moments. The wolf began to sniff him and started nudging at Jaskier’s arms like it was trying to get a look at his sides.

Scrutinizing the wolf, Jaskier was hit with a wave of realization. “Geralt?” Jaskier asked, holding his hand out to the wolf. The wolf placed his paw in Jaskier’s hand. “Any idea where we are?” The wolf whimpered. A large iron door opened and a man with a greatsword strapped to his back walked in with a vial in his hand. “Good to see you’re awake, bard,” the man said. He held the vial up. “Do you know what this is?” 

“No.” 

“Don’t test me, boy.” The bandit’s voice was low and gruff. 

“I’ve seen Geralt take them but I have no idea what they are or what they do. Honest.” Jaskier shrugged.

“One of my men took a sip and died on the spot. I take you’re going to want this.” The man walked closer to the cage and put the vial close enough to the cage that Jaskier could reach through the cage for it. 

“Why would I want this if it killed someone?” Jaskier raised a brow. 

“The wolf’s going to get hungry before long. You can’t expect the slimy cur not to turn to you for food when that happens. Witchers are more beastly than the fucking wolves that hunt in the highlands. You can either let the heartless fuck-”

“You nicked us from the highlands, didn’t you?” Jaskier cocked his head. “Shouldn’t you be in a cage too, then?” 

“Watch your mouth you little shit!” The bandit bellowed. 

“What’re you going to do about it? Honestly? You don’t have the guts to kill me yourself so you’re going to make someone you bewitched do it for you? You’re more cowardly than me,” Jaskier laughed. 

The man withdrew the keys from his belt and walked to the cage with a scowl. He unlocked it and the second the door was opened, Jaskier lunged and caught the man around the waist, holding him to the ground. The wolf wasted no time in slashing the man’s throat with his claws. 

“Geralt.” Jaskier tried for the wolf’s attention. “Geralt.” He patted the wolf’s head. “Would drinking your potion undo the spell? I don’t know what-” The bard stopped talking when the wolf whimpered and barked. “Alright. Let’s give it a go, hm?” 

Jaskier picked up the bottle and though it took them a couple of tries, Geralt did swallow the potion. Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light and Geralt was kneeling before Jaskier with black eyes and blackened veins around his eyes. 

“It worked,” Jaskeir grinned. 

Geralt hummed and stood. Jaskier, whose legs had been bent for so long, had a harder time standing. The Witcher figured it was just as well. He’d have to slaughter their way out, his potion was ramping him up. He heaved a deep breath and turned to Jaskier. 

“I don’t want you seeing what I’m about to do.” 

“What are you-”

In one fluid motion, Geralt steadied Jaskier against his chest and cast Somne. The bard’s head lulled back on his shoulder as the man promptly fell asleep. He eased Jaskier down so he was laying on the floor. 

The Witcher turned to the door and blasted it down with Aard. The first man to raise alarm was easily killed by his own sword once Geralt got it out of his hands. Some of the men ran while others were foolish enough to attack him. 

Geralt never went more than a couple of feet away from the iron door. He needed to keep Jaskier safe. The men that chose to attack were killed in front of the door while a few took a bit of coercion.

Once Jaskier’s heartbeat was the only one Geralt could hear, he went back to the room with the cage and scooped Jaskier into his arms to carry him out of the ramshackle cave.

*****

Jaskier’s head was pillowed by Geralt’s travelling cloak. He could tell that by the scent: dead leaves, pine needles, woodsmoke, and a slight tint of something he probably didn’t want to know. His head felt weirdly full yet light. Like someone packed his head full of clouds. 

Geralt was drying his hair, the river water flowing a little redder as it passed him. Roach, on the other hand, was grazing on grass. 

Jaskier sat up and he was now at an angle to see the water flowing past Geralt. The last words Geralt said to him floated through his mind. I don’t want you seeing what I’m about to do. 

What exactly had he done? They were outside so Geralt had clearly gotten them out. But how? Was the Witcher himself-

Jaskier yelped when Roach nudged his head. 

“Head hurt?” Geralt didn’t look up from drying his hair. The usually silver strands were closer to steel when wet, but clean of blood. 

“...No.” Jaskier rubbed his eyes. His head didn’t hurt but that didn’t mean it felt normal, either. “What, uh...what happened, Geralt?” 

“We got out.”

“I see that . But how did we get out?” Jaskier stood, bracing himself against Roach’s side when he stumbled. The bard rubbed Roach’s side for a few seconds in thanks. 

“I knocked the door out, gathered our things, and carried you out. Whatever they knocked you out with had a worse effect than we thought.”   

Jaskier narrowed his eyes at Geralt’s back. The Witcher was always skimpy with the details, but the bard could always tell when Geralt was tiptoeing around a specific detail. 

Accepting he wouldn’t know the whole truth until Geralt was ready to tell him, Jaskier joined Geralt by the banks of the river, sitting beside the Witcher, humming absentmindedly. 

“I’m not scared of you. You can’t scare me. I thought you would have learned that by now.” Jaskier ran his hands through his hair. “You saved my life...again. Which is why you can’t scare me.” 

“You saw my eyes, Jaskier.”

“I did. But I also see them no. The guilty fear. You’re a good person, Geralt. You don’t fight unless there’s no other option. There was a literal cage they locked us in. I might not know how to help you fight, but I know- I think- how to lessen your guilt. To lessen your guilt, my friend, you need reassurances to drown out whatever nastiness your silly brain is spoon-feeding you.” 

Geralt grunted and finally sat up fully, dropping the towel in his lap. “Why are you doing this?”

“Everyone’s always putting you down and you need someone in your corner. Maybe I should write another ballad about you, hm? What do you say to that, Geralt? About the...the sobbing mother who thought her son was dead.” Jaskier snapped his fingers. “Yes! And how we watched their joyous reunion!” 

Geralt was only sort of listening at this point. Now that this idea was in Jaskier’s head, the bard was going to write it whether the Witcher wanted it or not. Which meant he’d be hearing all about it for the next couple of weeks. 

“Thank you.” Geralt cut Jaskier off mid-sentence. 

“Hm? For what?” Jaskier blinked. 

“Not...fuck.”

Jaskier got the message. “Nothing’s changed; there’s nothing to react to. You’ll always be you. The scary-looking man who smiled when a young girl gave him a flower to thank him for saving her brother.

“Yes, you being a Witcher does have some dark and sadder days- such as today. But even my being a bard has its darker and sadder days- like the day I met Valdo Marx. Now if you’ve ever seen a monster in human skin, it’s that flaming compost heap.” 

Geralt grunted out a laugh and Jaskier beamed. 

“Could you… Do you remember anything from while you were under the spell?” The bard’s hand was fidgeting. 

“No. We were swarmed by bandits, one of them was a mage, a bright light, then I’m kneeling next to you with blood on my hand.” 

Jaskier nodded slowly. “Sometime after I woke up, a man came in and gave me one of your potions saying I was going to want it before long because one of his men died after taking a single sip. I got the keys from the man and got us out of the cage, you drank the potion, and then I woke up here.” 

“I put you to sleep.” Geralt wouldn’t meet Jaskier’s eyes. 

“You got us out alive,” Jaskier pointed out. “Besides, I should be thanking you. That was the most soundly I’ve slept in days.” 

Geralt shook his head but said nothing else. 

“Come on.” Jaskier took Geralt by the hand and tugged him up to his feet. “If you don’t comb your hair you’re not going to be able to.”

*****

Before midnight, Jaskier had curled up in his bedroll a safe distance from the fire but close enough that the flames kept him warm. 

Geralt lay on Jaskier’s other side so if anything were to try to get at Jaskier it would have to go through him first. As he lay there, the bard’s words drifted in and out of his mind. The words of his peacefully sleeping bard. 

Jaskier never lied to him. He’d dance around an answer if he was embarrassed, but he never lied. Eventually, the bard would go on and tell Geralt the whole answer because he felt bad about not really answering. 

When it came to his love life, Jaskier possessed questionable morals- just like any other bard he’d ever crossed paths with. Unlike most freelancers, Jaskier willingly helped anyone and everyone he could without a thought of payment with a smile. 

If someone so kind, selfless, and trusting as Jaskier would place his life in Geralt’s hands, maybe he wasn’t as evil as he thought. He could try trusting himself as Jaskier did. Or at least a little more. 

The Witcher rolled over, facing Jaskier, and focussed on that bard’s heartbeat. The sound lulled him to sleep by ensuring Jaskier was alive and well.

[phoenix1966sbottom]

Stories where Sam/Jared lives a reclusive lifestyle. This might range from some social awkwardness to agoraphobia to actually being trapped in his home. Please heed the tags where the stories are posted. Many contain dark subject matter. And, as always, please consider leaving the author a kudo/comment for their time, effort and generosity.

J2

A Ghost in Your Garden by dimeliora on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  A very loosely based AU of Season One of American Horror Story, Romcom style. Jensen has suffered an accident, and moves into a new home as a form of occupational and geographical therapy. He's surprised on arrival to find that his house is haunted and that his relationship is more damaged than he imagined. Luckily his new neighbor Jared is there to help him deal with the mysteries of his new home, and pick up the pieces of his broken life

Giving Up the Ghost by dimpleforyourthoughts on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  Since his parents’ divorce, Jensen Ackles has just about given up on the living. Moving from town to town with his Mom and Sister, his only solace has been found in music, and ignoring pretty much everything else. The latest move to a massive plantation home in Louisiana feels like a dream come true: he'll have all the space and privacy he's ever wanted. But there's something--someone--else living in the house. And they're absolutely bent on making Jensen's peace and quiet a living hell. Jensen's just a moody teenager who wants to be left alone. And Jared is the lonely ghost that haunts his bedroom. Determined to get rid of the pesky poltergeist, Jensen makes it his mission to get Jared to move on from this earth. But the more time they spend searching for Jared's way to cross over, the more Jensen is discovering that Jared might be one of the few people on this earth--living and dead--that he might want to keep around.

Soundproof Box by orphan_account on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  After Jared's mother dies, he buys an old, old house far away from his childhood home. Alone and introverted, always thought to be too weird, the ghost living in the house is Jared's only company. Jared doesn't exactly mind -- turns out Jensen is just as weird, if not weirder. Oh, Jared likes him.

The Sinister Nature of Cul-de-Sacs by goddamnbatman on LiveJournal. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU. Jensen Ackles thinks he's moved into the house of his dreams. Trouble is, the yard next door is a nightmare, and rumor has it that its owner is even worse.

Adoration by sylsdarkplace on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU. Jared buys an old mansion in the country with the goal of becoming the proprietor of a B&B and a novelist. The house has a dark past, but he scoffs at the idea that it's haunted. Then, he gets the feeling he's being watched and strange things begin to happen in the house.

Escape to the Future by dark_shadow85 on LiveJournal. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  Detective Jensen Ackles, pride of the Chicago Police Force’s special crime unit is asked by Captain Jeffrey Morgan to investigate the newest serial killings to hit the Windy City.  The only problem – the killer escaped capture before and left only one victim alive, Jensen’s lover and life partner Jared Padalecki-Ackles.  Can they find the Crimson Killer before he strikes again? (heed the warnings for this story!)

Given and Taken in Ink by marishna on LiveJournal. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU. Author Jared Padalecki has created a sheltered existence for himself, believing that he's happy half-living his safe life. His new neighbor, Jensen Ackles, knows there's something different about Jared and pushes until he has no choice but to let Jensen in. When Jared's carefully constructed life collapses around him will Jensen even care who Jared really is or will Jared's worries become reality?

Only When I Breathe by saucyminx on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU. Author Jared Padalecki is notoriously reclusive, hiding away from his fame in a cabin in the woods. Reporter Jensen Ackles is trying to salvage his career, it seemed like going undercover to get the inside scoop on the author would do just that. He never planned on feeling anything for the man but that was just the way life worked sometimes.

Agora by brokenlittleboy on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  Jensen Ackles is used to small towns and finds himself lost in his new home, a bustling city. Here for college, the city doesn't seem to offer anything besides getting him hopelessly lost. That is, before he stumbles upon a tiny bookstore down a narrow road called "Jay's Books" and discovers the books aren't the only great secret-- stunning and kind Jared Padalecki owns the store, and Jensen wants to travel the world with him-- except Jared hasn't stepped outside the front door in five years. (no penetrative sex)

Bottles on the Beach by MorganaDW on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. Non-AU.  Supernatural has been over for six years. Jensen's moved on & is close to starting back on daytime TV but no one's seen or heard from Jared in nearly five years. At a press event Jensen is approached by a reporter with a photo of his friend living on a beach. Confused & alarmed, he goes to find Jared to learn what happened. When he does, Jensen must also face the very reason he pulled away from Jared to begin in. As he does, and he learns that Jared's kept his own secret feelings hidden the truth behind Jared's disappearance comes out and Jensen finds out just what someone close to him was willing to do to keep him and Jared apart. (it has been a long time since I read this one. This author occasionally likes to mention the boys switching at the end. That may occur here)

After the Sky Falls by riyku on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU. West is where we all plan to go someday.

My New Life is Waiting by neros_violin on LiveJournal. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  Jared and his daughter Hannah are used to depending only on each other. Their life at the cabin on the lake isn’t exciting, but it’s safe.  Until the night Hannah goes outside, drawn by the soft sounds of a guitar.  While Jared is drawn to the music, the guitar player is too close for comfort. (past Jared/Sandy off-screen)

Beauty and the ‘Bot by zubeneschamali on LiveJournal. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  Jared's deliberate isolation is shattered when a merchant's ship crash lands on his moon. When the merchant tries to steal a flower from him, Jared demands his most prized possession in return: a 'bot that Jared himself designed many years ago. Jared gets to know the 'bot, which has not only given itself a name but become more human than Jared could have imagined. Together, Jared and Jensen will have to answer the question: what makes a person truly human? (no penetrative sex)

Retail Therapy Verse by all_the_damned_vampires on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  Starting from a masquerade prompt and spinning out of control in both length and content, this trilogy tells the story of Jared, just your average joe, kidnapped by enamored sociopath Jensen.

Out of the Dark by violetknights on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  At the age of thirty-one award winning author Jensen Ackles has everything he could possibly want but nothing that he needs. Suffering from burn out and unable to write he takes off to a woodland hideaway to try and get his mojo back. When he meets the reclusive hermit, Jared for the first time he can’t possibly imagine the extent to which their lives are already inextricably entwined. Maybe it’s fate, maybe it’s just coincidence. Maybe together they can journey out of the dark. (past Jared/Sandy, no penetrative sex)

Wincest

Uninvited by TwoBoys2Love on Ao3. Sam/Dean. Wincest AU.  Sam buys a new house. All is going well until strange things begin to happen. This brings a strange man into his life and together they fight what is inhabiting Sam’s home.

Love Make Monsters by riyku on Ao3. Sam/Dean. Wincest.  Sam’s sure of only two things in this world. A Crimson Peak AU

Hedonistic by saucyminx on Ao3. Sam/Dean. Wincest AU.  Hedonistic: noun: a person whose life is devoted to the pursuit of pleasure and self-gratification. Dean likes to kill, Sam likes to obsess. When they come together it's more than either could anticipate.

The Lighthouse by TwoBoys2Love on Ao3. Sam/Dean. Wincest AU. Sam is a loner, working in the tech field and on contract to maintain a small automated lighthouse. Dean comes to the island in search of a possible haunting. They meet and Dean enlists Sam's help in a hunt.